A 

system; 

OF 

MORAL PHILOSOPHY; 

OR, 

CHRISTIAN ETHICS: 

DESIGNED FOR THE USE OF 

PARENTS IN THEIR DOMESTIC INSTRUCTION, ADVANCED CLASSES 
IN SUNDAY SCHOOLS, AND LITERARY INSTITUTES. 

SECOND EDITION. 



BY REV. WILLIAM B. LACEY, D. D, 
Principal of the Western Female Collegiate Institute^ 

Erin Hill, near Pittsburgh, Pa. 
AUTHOR OF PRINCIPLES OF ELOCUTION, RHETOR1CK, &C. 



'May the doctrine of morality become a science," — Spurzheim, 
[Copy-Right secured according to Law. 



PITT§BtJE^M: 

PUBLISHED BY PATTERSON, FORRESTER & CO., 
No. 64, Wood Street, 
AND BY PATTERSON, INGRAM & GO., 
IVo. 78, Market Street, 



1837. 



\9*1 



PREFACE. 



Education, in the proper meaning of the term, implies 
that system of training, whether public or otherwise, which 
elicits and improves the capabilities of human nature ; which 
calls into exercise, and puts under proper discipline, the in- 
tellectual, moral, and animal faculties of man, preparing him 
for the effective and graceful accomplishment of the several 
duties, which, in the order of divine Providence, may be in- 
cumbent on him to perform. Any thing less than this, how- 
ever brilliant in its nature or results, falls short of an ade- 
quate and finished education. 

The importance of a full development of the resources of 
human nature, and the subjection of those resources to the 
government of reason and revelation, though not sufficiently 
appreciated by any, is, in some degree, admitted by all. The 
native wildness of our intellectual and moral faculties; the 
many circumstances with which we are connected tending 
to the perversion of those functions; the contempt inevitably 
excited by the non-accomplishment of our duties; and the 
dreadful result of this delinquency, demonstrate the impor- 
tance of education to be superior to that of any other human 
acquirement. The difference between a diamond just ex- 
tracted from its bed, and one which has undergone the po- 
lishing manipulations of the lapidary; or between the as- 
pects of a temporary cabin, and a lofty, well proportioned, 
and magnificent edifice, is only faintly illustrative of that 
dissimilarity which exists between the individual who is tho- 
roughly improved by education, and the one who is not. This 
difference is prominent in every country ; but in none is it 
more so than it is in our own. In consequence of the 



PREFACE. 



dom and liberality of our government opening to every in- 
dividual posts of responsibility and honour, the want of edu- 
cation is often rendered painfully conspicuous in those who 
are called to occupy them. A more unpleasant situation can 
scarcely be imagined than that of one who is unable to fill 
respectably the sphere of life in which circumstances may 
have placed him. Repeated failures having closed the pros- 
pect of success, he retires to his wonted obscurity with mor- 
tification and despair; wasting his time in unavailing lamen- 
tation over deficiencies which mental and moral culture 
would have abundantly supplied. The cultivated taste of 
the present age, and the high standard it has formed of in- 
tellectual and moral improvement, have determined that 
while an unobstructed career of usefulness and glory shall 
be opened to the learned and the good, that those who are 
destitute of principle and acquirement shall be " hewers of 
wood and. drawers of water." Not to dwell upon the rich 
and peculiar enjoyments of the well educated mind; its re- 
pasts on eloquence, poetry, and the fine arts ; its delightful 
visions in the sunshine of science and revelation, it is evident 
that education is important even in the ordinary concerns of 
life. 

And if it is important in any country, it is peculiarly so in 
our own. In this extensive and extending sovereignty, we 
have, at the present moment, upwards of fifteen millions of 
human beings ; and this population, less restrained than the 
ocean's wave, is continually rolling on, and pressing with re- 
sistless force upon its mountain barriers. In the lapse of a 
few years, the nameless wilds, stretching from the Missis- 
sippi across the stony ridge to the shores of the Pacific, will 
be densely inhabited. And when we add to this mass of hu- 
man beings, the myriads that are springing up in the fertile 
vallies of the Missouri, the Illinois, the Ohio, and the other 
inlets to the " father of waters," we shall have a countless 
host. And as this population will select the rulers of our 



PREFACE. 



V 



common country, upon their acquirements will depend the 
perpetuation of its blessings, or the extinction of its hopes. 
If the happy government under which we have long pros- 
pered be transmitted to future generations, this will be ac- 
complished only by the selection of such statesmen as, rising 
above the narrow views and selfish motives of ignorant and 
wicked aspirants, will call to their aid the light of science, 
and the maxims of christian morals. The moment these 
auxiliaries are laid aside, darkness and chaos will come 
again ; the fair fabric of our government will be overturned, 
and there will be none to lift it from its fall. 

That moral culture, in the training of human beings, 
ought to be an object of primary and solicitous attention, is 
too plain to be denied. The adaptations and capacities of 
the youthful mind ,* its quick susceptibilities of moral and 
religious truth, and the highest interests of the social state, 
all declare, in language not to be misunderstood, the duty of 
parents in this respect. So clear is the voice of reason in 
regard to the improvement of the moral powers, that all na- 
tions have bowed to her decision. History presents on every 
page the solemn and admonitory' fact, that a recklessness of 
moral culture is productive of the most unhappy results. 
Be the power and wealth of nations, or individuals, what 
they may, if they are destitute of moral principles, they will 
be fruitful sources of human wretchedness. The command- 
ment, " to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with 
God," is so congenial with the public interest, that nature 
seems to abhor, and stamp with maledictions all who disre- 
gard it. The most splendid and fascinating acquirements, 
when substituted for morality, will be only coverings of gos- 
samer, heightening, by way of contrast, the internal deformi- 
ties of character. 

While moral principles are essential to the happiness and 
dignity of individuals, the quietude and comfort of families, 
and the prosperity of nations, there is but little difficulty in 

1* 



vi 



PREFACE. 



imparting, even to the tender youth, some knowledge of their 
nature and excellence. Their susceptibility, in this respect, 
is such, that in the very cradle the goodness of the Supreme 
Governor, the character of his requirements, and the happy 
results of complying with them, may, in some measure, be 
explained. Often have we seen the tender infant, bowing 
before his heavenly Father, and heard him lisp, in accents of 
humility, prayers to the Giver of all Good ; and witnessed, < 
in consistency with these devotions, a high regard to chris- 
tian morals. Nor are the sentiments imparted to the youth- 
ful mind apt to become inoperative in hoary age. " Train 
up a child," saith the wise man, " in the way he should go, 
and when he is old he will not depart from it." 

But the importance of early training, in moral principle, 
is not confined to the duration of the present life, but will in- 
crease, interminably, in that which is to come. The destiny 
— the eternal destiny of moral agents intimately depends 
upon impressions first fixed upon their minds. From the 
constitution of human nature, early associations are, in the 
highest degree, potential in after life. " Man," says arch- 
deacon Paley, " is a bundle of habits." His actions, when 
traced to their primal source, are found to proceed much of- 
tener from early associations than any other cause. It is 
therefore not surprising that children, matured in vicious 
habits, and without countervailing principles, should continue 
in a wicked course, not only up to manhood, but even until 
death. 

If parents would see their children prosper in the present 
life ; would have them close their earthly career under the 
blessings of their country and their God, and finally enjoy 
that felicity which awaits the just in another world, they 
should bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the 
Lord ; should impress upon their tender minds that to " fear 
God, and to keep his commandments," is the whole duty and 
happiness of man. The susceptibility of the youthful mind 



PREFACE* 



Vii 



— the activity of the principle of association—the force of 
habit — and the word of God, all concur in the declaration 
that, this ought to mingle with the first, the last, and the in- 
termediate parts of education. 

To assist in providing the youthful mind with sound and 
salutary principles, and to induce in it habits of moral recti- 
tude, we commenced and prosecuted the following work. 
One of the most impulsive wishes of our heart, from early 
youth, has been to contribute to the improvement of the ri- 
sing generation ; and now that we are descending the vale of 
life, not knowing how soon we may be summoned to anpther 
world, we are solicitous to perpetuate our former efforts in 
the present form. And should we, before we go hence, and 
are no more seen on earth, or after we have passed that 
" bourne from which no traveller returns," discover benefi- 
cial results from our feeble labours, we shall be amply remu- 
nerated for the many toilsome and often thankless efforts we 
have made to be useful in our day and generation. While 
the inadequate, and not unfrequently reluctant compensation 
which public teachers receive for their exhausting labours na- 
turally tends to repress their zeal and to limit their enterprize, 
we have sought to reanimate our efforts by contemplating 
their results in another world. Much as we value the ac- 
quirements of human learning, and ardently as we wish to 
contribute to our country's glory, by promoting the intellec- 
tual improvement of her children, we are infinitely more so- 
licitous to assist in the diffusion of sound morals and evan- 
gelical piety. Nature, and the god of nature, have decreed 
that, in the want of these attainments, no one can be happy 
in the life which now is, or in that which is to come. 

With this view, we hope that no apology is requisite for of- 
fering to the public a new family and school book on moral 
philosophy. The almost entire absence of moral teaching 
in our common literary institutes ; the alarming prevalence 
of popish principles ; and the increasing dereliction of order 



viii 



PREFACE* 



and subordination in our fellow citizens, call upon every 
christian and patriot to effect, if possible, a reformation 
in the present system of public instruction. Until this great 
and eventful object is accomplished we may expect to witness 
a continued progression in moral turpitude. To dry up the 
streams of vice we should commence our labours at the foun- 
tain head. The improvement of the hearts and minds of 
the rising generation ought to be the object of our primary 
and continued effort; and until this is the case, all attempts 
at reform will be partial and comparatively nugatory. 

In the present work we have not attempted to build up our 
own reputation at the expense of our predecessors ; but sim- 
ply to supply a desideratum, which, as far as we know, has 
never been attempted before. The learned and justly cele- 
brated writers on moral science, both in ancient and modern 
times, have addressed their labours to the literati, or to men 
of mature minds. None of them has condescended to adapt 
his productions to the domestic circle and initiatory school ; — 
and yet these are the very points to which our greatest ef- 
forts should be directed. 

To aid the parent and the teacher in the important busi- 
ness of moral culture is the only design of the present vol- 
ume. Whether we shall succeed in the accomplishment of 
our object is yet, of course, to be decided. We are assured, 
however, that in as far. as we have succeeded in the exhibi- 
tion of divine truth, we may safely anticipate a blessing on 
our labours. " My word," saith God, " that goeth forth out 
of my mouth, shall not return to me void, but it shall accom- 
plish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing 
whereto I sent it." 

This outline is not conducted upon the narrow principles 
of sectarian views, but upon the broad ground of reason and 
revelation. It aims simply at the exhibition of human duties, 
as deduced by the light of nature and the holy scriptures. 
Having taken our stand upon this holy summit, we were de- 



PREFACE. 



IX 



termined not to "confer with flesh and blood," but to pro- 
ceed, under the guidance of those lights, whithersoever they 
might lead us. Aware of our high responsibility, we have 
discarded, as much as possible, the perverting influence of 
human* dogmas, and endeavoured, in the fear of God, to 
state the truth just as we found it in the oracles of nature 
and grace. 

In the execution of our plan we have aimed chiefly at per- 
spicuity, conciseness, and accuracy. Intending the work not 
so much for amusement as study, we have preferred brevity, 
even at the expense of elegance. A book, written in a full 
and flowing style, we have found, by observation and expe- 
rience, not to be adapted to the capacity of children. How- 
ever much it may be preferred by the general reader, it soon 
becomes fatiguing to the student, especially if he is obliged 
to commit the greater portion of it to memory. The parlour 
and the school room demand no less difference in the char- 
acter of their books, than they do in their furniture. While 
the latter requires simplicity and conciseness, the former de- 
mands elegance and amplitude. And not forgetting the ca- 
pacities of those for whom the work is particularly designed, 
we have been anxious to make it perspicuous. Positions 
which required hours and days to elaborate, are stated, it is 
hoped, with a clearness that even children may comprehend. 
The perspicuity, however, consists not so much in abundance 
of illustration, or juvenile phraseology, as in elementary 
statement. There has been no effort to avoid difficulties, or 
to conceal ignorance ; but a wish, in every instance, to go to 
the bottom of moral science, and render distinct the most 
entangled and complicated subjects. Though the vast and 
various topics of christian ethics are here presented in a small 
compass, and in simple language, we have endeavoured to 
discuss as thoroughly every important point as we deemed 
suitable to the condition of our readers. But feeling as we 
did our awful responsibility in every line we wrote, we were 



X 



PREFACE. 



especially anxious our statements and deductions should be 
correct. We, undoubtedly, have fallen into errors ; but we 
have studiously endeavoured to avoid them. Throwing our- 
selves upon our own resources, and relying entirely upon the 
holy scriptures, and the assistance of that grace, without 
which, " nothing is strong, nothing is holy," we have en- 
deavoured to state the truth, and nothing but the truth. 

To the plan of incorporating theology with ethics, we have 
no doubt objections will be raised ; but believing that christian 
principles are the only stimulus to moral action, and that the 
interests of truth should not be sacrificed to classification, we 
felt obliged to pursue the course we have taken. Whatever 
may be the distinctness of nature's light, or that of the holy 
scriptures, inasmuch as God has given both for our instruc- 
tion, neither ought to be excluded. Our design, in the pre- 
sent essay, being the statement and enforcement of human 
duties, we availed ourselves of scripture as well as reason. 
An exclusion of the word of God from any system of moral 
action cannot fail to be injurious. It will not only present a 
body without a soul ; but a body without either form or come- 
liness. 

The work is divided into three books. The first treats of 
the nature of obligation, and the lights by which it is discov- 
ered. These lights arising from the works and the word of 
God, are discussed at some length. Being the basis on which 
the superstructure rests, we were solicitous to present it with 
as much clearness as possible. The proofs of the inspiration 
of the scriptures, though not usually embraced in works of 
this kind, were deemed essential to the present plan. Every 
system of morals resting upon the word of God, and design- 
ed for the perusal of younger students, ought to present the 
grounds upon which that word is received. To pupils of 
this description every position should be proved ; nothing 
should be taken for granted. The evidences, however, are 
compressed within a narrow compass, and are intended 



PREFACE. Xi 

merely as a step-stone to the study of other works of the 
same kind. 

The second book treats of the adaptations and relations of 
human beings ; because it is believed that, in every instance, 
obligations arise from this source. But this division of the 
work, like the one immediately preceding it, being merely 
preparatory to the chief discussion, is dispatched with great 
brevity. As we did not intend to write on mental, but moral 
philosophy, we considered a lengthened and subtile disquisi- 
tion on the former neither necessary nor proper. We wish- 
ed to shew the design of God in the creation of man as 
evinced in his adaptations, and this being done our object was 
accomplished. * < 

The third and last book treats of the duties we owe to 
God, to our fellow creatures, and to ourselves. These du- 
ties, we think, are clearly deduced from the light of nature 
and the holy scriptures, and cannot fail to recommend them- 
selves to every candid and considerate mind. All that au- 
thority can render awful, virtue lovely, and happiness de- 
sirable, enter into the composition of the motives which urge 
the performance of these duties. The eternal and irrevo- 
cable decree of God, that it shall go well with the righteous, 
for he shall eat the fruit of his doing; and that it shall go ill 
with the wicked, for the reward of his hands shall be given 
him, is continually held forth and dwelt upon. And the cer- 
tainty of this result is shewn, not only from the declaration 
of holy writ, but also from the economy of nature. Man, 
like every thing in the universe, has prescribed for him a 
certain orbit ; and a divergency from that orbit is shewn to 
be productive of mischief and confusion. From this ar- 
rangement there is no appeal. It forms the grand nucleus 
around which the universe is built. It enters into the essen- 
tial composition of man, and can no more be suspended than 
his being. " If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the 
good of the land; but if ye refuse, and rebel, ye shall be 



xii 



PREFACE. 



devoured with the sword," is a law, written not only upon 
the pages of inspiration, but upon every particle of nature. 
Sin, in every instance, is armed with its own dagger, and 
will infallibly inflict its own punishment. The transgression 
of the law of God is a derangement of nature, and suffering 
is the inevitable consequence of that derangement. 

Whatever may be the merit or demerit of the present 
work, it was intended for the promotion of the best interests 
of man; even his temporal and eternal happiness. A sy- 
nopsis of it was delivered, in the form of lectures., to pupils 
in the Western Female Collegiate Institute; and having been 
requested by them, and others, to give it to the public in a 
more extended form, we have yielded to their request. And 
this we do, most humbly beseeching the Fountain of all Good 
to render it a lasting blessing to all who study it. 

Erin Hill, near Pittsburgh, 
May, 1835. 



A SYSTEM OF MORAL PHILOSOPHY, 



OR 

CHRISTIAN ETHICS. 



BOOK I. 

Of the nature and basis of human obligations, and the means 
by which they are deduced. 

1. Moral philosophy, or christian ethics, is that science 
which treats of the nature and extent of human obligations. 
It properly embraces the duties which we owe to God, to our 
fellow creatures, and to ourselves. 

2. Human obligations are reasons for the performance of 
certain actions, and grow out of the relations which subsist 
between actors, and the objects of their actions. We, for 
instance, are under obligations to be grateful to our bene- 
factors; because we stand to them in the relation of beneficia- 
ries; and it is reasonable for those who receive favours to 
be thankful to the individuals who bestow them. Obliga- 
tions and reasons in this sense are synonymous. Every ac- 
tion we are bound to perform involves reasons for its accom- 
plishment, and these reasons are the obligations we are under 
to perform it. We are obliged to do a thing because it is 
reasonable. In the whole range of christian ethics, there is 
no obligation without reason. In every instance the former 
implies the latter, both in essence and degree. Be the power 

1. What is moral philosophy? 

2. What are human obligations ? 

2 



14 



A SYSTEM OF 



and sovereignty of the supreme being what they may, they 
are perfectly coincident with reason. Upon this principle his 
government is entirely founded. Being infinitely good, he 
requires of his creatures nothing but what is infinitely proper. 

3. The ground upon which the reasons for human duties 
rest, has been defined utility — the customs and laws of the 
country in which we live — the dictates of innate moral prin- 
ciples — the nature and fitness of things — and the sovereignty 
of God. But, perhaps, a better definition is, The will of God 
founded upon the adaptations and relations of his creatures. 

4. God being the creator, sustainer, and governor of all 
things, his will is necessarily the supreme law of the universe,* 
and this will, being infinitely just, is necessarily in accordance 
with the capacities and relations of his creatures. Every crea- 
ture is required to act agreeably to the constitution of his 
nature. In the great scale of creation, extending from the 
highest seraph, down to inorganic matter, the duty of every 
individual is graduated in exact accordance with his ability. 
This doctrine is beautifully illustrated in the parable of the 
talents. One individual, we are told, received five talents, 
another two, and another one; and each one was required to 
improve according to his several ability.* The will of God, 
concerning his creatures, being founded upon their nature and 
capacities, their obligations to comply with his requirements 
are entirely reasonable. Reason, according to the decrees 
of God, is the grand and fundamental law of the universe. 
"Come," says he, "and let us reason together."! "Are not 
my ways equal ? are not your ways unequal ?":]: 

5. The will of God, in reference to human beings, is dis- 
coverable in two ways: First, by the light of nature; and, 
secondly, by the holy scriptures. 

3. What is the ground of human obligations ? 

4. How is this proved ? 

5. How is the will of God discoverable ? 



* Mat. 25: 14—30, f Is. 1: 18. t Ez. 18: 29. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



15 



6. The light of nature is that which indicates, by the 
adaptation of things, the will of their creator concerning them. 
As by the connexions of the movements of a time-piece, and 
the tendency of its whole construction, the design of its for- 
mation is pointed out; so, by the adaptation of creatures to 
certain purposes, the intention of their creator is manifested. 
The splendour, attraction, and position of the sun, indicate, 
beyond the possibility of doubt, the end for which he was cre- 
ated. And the adaptation of the atmosphere to the condition 
of our lungs, of certain kinds of food to our nourishment, of 
exercise and sleep to our health, of temperance, and of every 
other virtue to our happiness, points out, with equal certainty, 
the will of God concerning them. The design of the creation 
of every thing with which we are sufficiently acquainted, is 
manifest from its construction and habitudes. Were an in- 
habitant of another planet to descend to our earth in total 
ignorance of our duties, he might, after a competent survey of 
the adaptations and capacities of man, deduce, with great cer- 
tainty, from these circumstances, many of his obligations. 
To deny that the nature and relations of human beings indi- 
cate their duty, is to impugn the wisdom and power of God; 
is to conclude he was not capable of forming his creatures in 
accordance with the objects of their creation. The light of 
nature, therefore, is intended by the parent of the universe, to 
assist in guiding us in the search of duty. Events, under the 
control of divine providence, lead to the same conclusion. 
Millions of human beings, in all ages, have been left with no 
other light for their direction; and this hardly could have been 
the fact, had this light been totally inefficient. But upon 
this subject we are not left merely to speculation. "The hea- 
vens," we are told, "declare the glory of God, and the firma- 
ment showeth his handy work. Day unto day uttereth speech, 
and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech 
nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line is 
gone out throughout all the earth, and their words unto the 

G. What is the light of nature ? 



16 



A SYSTEM OP 



end of the world."* And we are assured that "the invisible 
things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen, 
being understood by the things that are made, even his 
eternal power and godhead ; so that they are without ex- 
cuse."! "For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, 
do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having 
not the law, are a law unto themselves; which show the 
work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also 
bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing 
or else excusing one another."^: 

7. But we are not left exclusively to the light of nature 
for the discovery of our duty. God has given another, and 
a fuller revelation for this important and interesting purpose. 
This revelation is contained in the holy scriptures. They are 
a complete and exact disclosure of the will of God concerning 
our duties. "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the 
soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the 
simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; 
the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes."§ 

8. That the scriptures contain a revelation of the will of 
God concerning our duties, is, from numerous and conclusive 
arguments, not only probable but absolutely certain. A brief 
view of the substance of these arguments, we will submit in 
the present place. 

ARGUMENT I. 

9. God, in the nature of things, must have always had a 
will concerning man, and it is reasonable to believe that he 
would make it known — that if he did make it known, he 
would, in doing so, adopt the most eligible plan — and the 

7. Is the light of nature our exclusive guide ? 

8. How is it evident that the scriptures contain a revelation of the will 
of God? 

9. What is the substance of the first argument ? 

* Ps. 19. t Rom. 1: 20, t Rom. 2: 14, 15. § Ps, 19: 7, 8. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY* 



17 



scriptures being the most eligible plan, the conclusion is, that 
plan has been adopted. 

1. That God has always had a will concerning man, is evi. 
dent from the fact that he created him. We did not create 
ourselves. Self-creation supposes an effect before its cause; 
an agent to create before the agent existed; or, in other words, 
that nothing created something, which is absurd. Nor could 
we be independently created by any other creature. Every 
creature is entirely dependent on his own creator for what he 
is; and, therefore, can be only the instrumental, not the effi- 
cient cause of creation. The ultimate and efficient cause of 
creation, in every instance, must be self-existent and eternal; 
and consequently God. 

He also is our preserver. Secondary agents may, indeed, 
have been concerned in our preservation; but these agents 
must all have been dependent on their primary cause; and this 
cause was God. To him, therefore, our preservation is pro- 
perly attributable. If D depend on C for certain privileges, 
and C on B, and B on A, it is evident they all are dependent 
on A. He being the primary source of their immunities, on 
him they are alike dependent for their continuance. 

God also, in the various dispensations of his government, 
has evinced a desire for the promotion of human happiness. 
The adaptation of the universe to man, and of man to the 
universe, and the many gratifications resulting from this ar- 
rangement, prove incontrovertibly, that God takes a perma- 
nent and lively interest in the welfare of human beings. 

The inference then is, that God has a will concerning us; 
for in the absence of such a will, he could not have created, 
preserved, and cherished us, as he evidently has done. 

2. If God has a will concerning man, it is reasonable to 
believe he would make it known. If he should not make it 
known, how could man become acquainted with it? And if 
he does not become acquainted with it, how can he comply 

1 . How do you prove the first proposition ? 

2. Why is it reasonable to believe that God would reveal his will ? 

2* 



18 



A SYSTEM OF 



with its requirements? Nothing would fix a fouler blot upon 
a human legislator, than to enact laws, in reference to his 
subjects, and then abstain from the publication of those laws. 
A law is a rule of action; but a voluntary conformity with 
any law, without a knowledge of its provisions, is impossible. 
The conclusion then is, that God, entertaining a will concern- 
ing human beings, would not abstain from its publication. 
Every attribute of the divine character, and every mental fa- 
culty of man, is a proof that such a course of conduct could 
not be adopted. 

3. If, however, God reveal his will to human creatures, 
it will be because he is desirous of doing so; and being desi- 
rous of doing so, he will wish to do it in the best way; and 
being competent to do it in the best way, he accordingly will 
do it in that way. 

4. But the only possible plans, of which we have any 
knowledge, for the revelation of the will of God to man, are 
the constant interposition of miracles — the perpetual and re- 
sistless influence of his holy spirit — the light of nature — and 
the one adopted in the scriptures. Of these plans the latter 
is manifestly the best. 

5. The constant interposition of miracles would either ope- 
rate so powerful as to supersede the freedom of the will, and 
thus subvert an important and fundamental principle of our 
nature; or they would, by the frequency of their occurrence, 
cease in time to be efficacious. Nor can we overlook the in- 
convenience they would occasion by breaking in upon the 
present beautiful order and harmony of nature. That which 
is now permanent and stable, would, in the perpetual occur- 
rence of miracles, be for ever changing. Occasional miracles, 
may, indeed, be instrumental of doing good; but a constant 
interference with the course of nature, could not fail to be pro- 
ductive of universal mischief. 

3. Why will God reveal his will in the best way ? 

4. Which are the only possible plans of a revelation ? 

5. What are the objections to the plan of miracles? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



21 



6. The perpetual and resistless influence of the holy spirit 
would be nearly, if not quite, as ineligible as that of the con- 
stant interposition of miracles. It would not only contravene 
the free agency of man. but tend directly to weaken his social 
ties. The beautiful system of dependence and responsibility, 
which now obtains in the moral world, would, in this arrange- 
ment, be nearly annihilated. Every individual would be in- 
dependent of his fellows in regard to his own conduct; and 
acquiring a knowledge of his duty without the labour of inves- 
tigating it, would contribute nothing on this subject to the 
general knowledge. All that mental effort; that intellectual 
discipline, which, in the present order of things, contribute so 
much to human glory and social happiness, would be rendered 
useless, in regard to moral science, by the constant and resist- 
less operation of the holy spirit, in the immediate revelation of 
our duty. 

7. The light of nature is too feeble and remote for general 
use. A few philosophers only, after long and incessant labour, 
have been able to discover it; and its exact boundaries and 
efficiency, up to the present day, have never been defined. 
Perceptions of the adaptations of nature, depending upon deep 
learning, a sound judgment, and the accuracy of long and 
critical observation, are immeasurably beyond the attainment 
of ordinary minds. Of all the philosophers, both of ancient and 
modern times, no one, as yet, has been able to deduce from 
the adaptations of nature, an unexceptional system of moral 
duties. Though the gigantic minds of Plato, Seneca, and 
Confucius, were put in requisition to accomplish this desider- 
atum, they confessedly failed in their undertaking. System 
after system has followed in the lapse of time; but every one 
has proved to be erroneous or defective. 

8. Nor is the light of nature, could we obtain it, in its 
best condition, adequate to our wants. It affords, in regard to 

6. What to the resistless influence of the spirit? 

7. What to the light of nature ? 

8. What other objection is there to the light of nature ? 



20 



A SYSTEM OF 



many subjects, in which we are deeply interested, no informa- 
tion. The dark clouds, which rest upon the grave, are abso- 
lutely impervious to its brightest beam. On the brow of that 
eternal night, which lies beyond the tomb, it never sheds even 
a wandering or solitary ray. And even where it does instruct, 
its instructions are too tardy for human wants. Instead of 
affording light in the wild and reckless periods of youth, when 
it is most needed, it reserves its scintillations for mature age, 
and chastened feelings. Nor does it then exhibit sanctions 
sufficiently powerful to induce obedience. If it points out the 
path in which we should go, it leaves us without motives to 
walk in it. Like the moonbeams of a winter night, it may. 
indeed, dispel darkness; but it lacks the inspirations of invigo- 
rating warmth and impulsive action. 

9. But the inspiration of the holy scriptures is fully ade- 
quate to our wants — it is easy to be understood — is so mild 
as not to infringe upon the free agency of man — and yet 
affords sufficient sanctions to induce obedience in every can- 
did and considerate mind. 

1. The revelation of God's will by the holy scriptures, being 
superior to any other plan, the conclusion is, this plan has 
been adopted. 

ARGUMENT II. 

2 That the scriptures are a revelation from God, is highly 
probable from their wonderful adaptation to the interests of 
human beings. There is, in this respect, a perfect coincidence 
in the systems of revelation and providence. They both, in 
all their ramifications, like the radii of the same circle, tend 
to one point; and that point is the production of the greatest 
amount of human happiness. 

3. The morality of the holy scriptures is not only pure, but 

9. In what respects is the scripture plan of revelation the best ? 

1. What conclusion follows from the superiority of the scripture plan 1 

2. What is the second argument ? 

3. What is the first argument to prove this proposition ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



21 



entirely benign. While it enjoins an abstinence from "adul- 
tery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witch- 
craft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, 
heresies, envyings, murder, drunkenness, revellings, and such 
like," it requires the cultivation of "love, joy, peace, long- 
suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temper- 
ance."* Nor will a compliance with this injunction less 
certainly contribute to human happiness, than that matter, 
under the influence of gravity, will tend to the centre. Wher- 
ever the principles of christian ethics have been acted on, 
prosperity and general happiness have been the result. 
Adapted to the nature, capacities, and relations of human 
beings, as these principles evidently are, they can no more be 
disregarded with impunity than the natural cravings of our 
appetites. The irrevocable decree of nature is, that a con- 
formity with the precepts of Christianity shall be conducive 
to human happiness; and that a rejection of them shall be 
productive of human misery. The morality of the holy scrip- 
tures, is so far from being an arbitrary requirement, growing 
out of the caprice or despotism of the Almighty, that it is 
a code of laws, necessarily arising from the nature, capa- 
cities, and relations of man. The more philosophically 
this subject is investigated, the more evidently accurate the 
statement will appear. In view of human nature, as consti- 
tuted by the author of all things, the production of general 
happiness, by the practice of scripture morality, appears no 
less natural than the elimination of heat by the action of 
caloric. 

4. Nor are the doctrines of the Bible less efficient in the 
production of human happiness, than are its precepts. They 
indeed, are the basis of our sweetest hopes; the sources of our 
purest comfort; and the motives to our highest virtues. The 
infinite perfections of the godhead — the benignity and uni- 

4 , What is the second argument to prove this proposition ? 



* Gal. 5: 19—23, 



22 



A SYSTEM OF 



versality of his providence — the redemption of mankind by 
the transactions of the cross — the gift of the holy spirit — the 
immortality of the soul — and the doctrines of rewards and 
punishments — are adapted to the production of the sweetest, 
highest, and most enduring happiness. They bind up the 
broken heart, revive the depressed spirit, reconcile the mur- 
muring and discontented mind, and open beyond the grave, a 
cheering and delightful prospect. 

5. And even the ordinances of Christianity are salutary 
in their tendency. Adapted as they are by infinite wisdom to 
the exigencies of human nature, they are always, when pro- 
perly attended to, productive of human comfort. There is 
not a more decided adaptation of the atmosphere to the con- 
dition of our lungs, than there is of the ordinances of Chris- 
tianity to the mental and moral functions of man. The 
christian sabbath — the church of the living God — baptism — 
and the Lord's supper, are obviously subservient to the best 
interests of our race. 

6. The observance of the christian sabbath recruits the 
exhausted powers of the labouring portion of the community 
— affords facilities for mental and moral improvement — and 
creates incentives to personal decorum and social intercourse. 

7. The effects of the christian church are the culture of 
the moral and religious virtues — the advancement of science 
and literature — and the promotion of general order and pros- 
perity. 

8. Baptism admits its subjects to the privileges of the 
christian church — is a constant memento of promises to live 
worthy of our christian calling — is a symbol of that inward 
purity, which, by our profession we are required to cultivate; 
and is a sacramental pledge, that God, upon the conditions of 
penitence and faith, will give us all the blessings that we need. 

5. What is the third argument to prove this proposition ? 

6. What are the benefits of observing the christian sabbath? 

7. What are the effects of the christian church? 

8. What are the benefits of baptism ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



23 



9. The Lord's supper, when properly received, has a 
natural tendency to improve our social and religious feelings — 
to assure us of the pardon of past sins — and to inspire fresh 
and animating hopes of future happiness. 

1. Coinciding as the scriptures do, with the design of God, 
as indicated in the works of nature, in promoting the happiness 
of human creatures, we cannot doubt their divine original. A 
system of religion, so multifarious in its details; so apparently 
casual in many of its important features; so artlessly advo- 
cated by individuals of different circumstances; and yet, so 
profoundly and accurately adapted to the wants of human 
beings; as the religion of the scriptures evidently is — must 
have received its origin from above. The infinitely accurate 
adaptation of Christianity to the various, complicated, and 
often undeveloped principles and relations of our species, 
proves, with a demonstration not to be resisted, the infinite 
wisdom of the Author. 

ARGUMENT III. 

2. The candour of the sacred writers, as evinced in every 
portion of their compositions, affords another proof that they 
were the subjects of inspiration. 

8. These writers appeared upon the stage of action, not as 
the champions of any particular school, or new and distinctive 
theory; but generally for the purpose of describing facts. This 
seems, on almost all occasions, to have been the primary ob- 
ject of their writing. Their polemic and didactic essays 
were short and incidental. Instead of exhibiting their doc- 
trines, or even precepts as primary or leading objects, they 
gave them as circumstances called them out. The peculiari- 
ties of Christianity are no where exhibited in a systematic and 

9. What are the benefits of the Lord's supper? 

1. What is the conclusion from the above premises? 

2. What is the third argument ? 

3. What is the first proof of their candour? 



24 



A SYSTEM OF 



consecutive form; but are scattered here and there, as occa- 
sion required. 

4. Even in their descriptive pieces there is no apparent 
effort at effect. All they appear to have aimed at, was the 
relation of things just as they occurred. No pompous and 
swelling periods; no factitious pathos or gorgeous painting; 
no laboured arguments and anxious proofs, are found in their 
productions; but all of them are eminently characterized by 
naturalness and ease. Moses, in recording the deeply inter- 
esting process of creation, simply says: "In the beginning God 
created the heavens and the earth:" and speaking of the for- 
mation of light; "Let there be light and there was light." Nor 
did the writers of the New Testament, in a single instance, 
depart from this simplicity; but in recording the most extra- 
ordinary and splendid miracles, observed a brevity, peculiar 
and surprising. So artless and single minded were these 
writers, in the preparation of their respective narratives, that 
a thought of the possibility of contradicting one another seems 
never to have entered their minds. With the simplicity of 
little children, eager to relate something they had seen, they 
hastened, simply for the benefit of others, to make known the 
burden of their stories. Without meeting for the purpose of 
collating their unnatural and complicated statements, and thus 
preparing them for the scrutiny of the public eye, they rushed 
forward, and spontaneously related what they had seen. In 
consequence of pursuing this course, which candour and the 
love of truth only could have prompted, we discover, what 
must always result from proceedings of this description; a dis- 
similarity in some points of their narratives. This dissimila- 
rity, however, never amounts to contradiction. It consists 
simply of omissions in some instances, and of a diversity of 
minuteness in others. And this precisely is what, from the 
construction of the human mind, must necessarily happen in 
the testimony of honest witnesses. In descriptions of events, 

4. What is the second proof of their candour? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



25 



by different persons, relating only what they themselves had 
seen and felt, there will infallibly be a want of perfect same- 
ness. This deficiency, however, instead of invalidating their 
testimony 1 , will, in the estimation of candid and judicious judges, 
confirm it. Proving, as it does, the absence of collusion, and a 
disposition to deceive, it adds greatly to the weight of testimony. 

5. Of the appearance of selfish and unholy motives, in 
any of the writers of the sacred scriptures, there is, in all their 
productions, a total absence. No envy, no malignity, no sin- 
ister feelings, is apparent in a single line they wrote. They 
recorded their own errors ; their own infirmities ; and their own 
punishments, in the same manner they recorded those of others ; 
not in the language of hypocritical regret, but in a strain of 
unaffected simplicity and penitence. The Jews were repre- 
sented as a hard-hearted and disobedient people ; the disciples 
as foolish, and slow of understanding; and the apostles, as 
deserving, in many instances, animadversion and rebuke. 
There is not, in all their writings, a single trace of insincerity 
and collusion ; of the slightest wish to seek for popularity at 
the expense of virtue; or of selfishness inclining them, in the 
least degree, to misrepresent facts, or distort truth. We dis- 
cover, in all their writings, an independence, impartiality, and 
directness, which a consciousness of truth alone could have 
imparted. 

6. So far from indicating a timidity under the process of 
arrest and examination, they, on all occasions, invited the 
strictest scrutiny of their statements. On their part there 
was no effort at concealment ; no desire whatever to escape 
from examination ; no air of mystery and reserve; but a plain, 
open, and straight forward declaration of all they believed and 
knew. Instead of abiding in lonely and unfrequented places; 
of practising their skill on ignorant and unsuspecting indi- 
viduals ; or of eluding the eye of penetration by changing, 
.frequently, their place of residence; or of attempting to ac- 

5. What is the third proof of their candour? 
8. What is the fourth proof of their candour? 

3 



20 



A SYSTEM OF 



complish their design by force or stratagem ; they went to the 
very temple ; appeared in the presence of the enraged sanhe- 
drim ; proclaimed their doctrines before kings ; exhibited in the 
face of heaven, the most obnoxious features of their creed; and 
were, on all occasions, as peaceful and artless as little lambs. 
Not alarmed by menace; not deterred by persecution; not 
diverted from their course by fear of punishment, they boldly 
appeared before their adversaries, and under sentence of death, 
and even in the agonies of martyrdom, proclaimed, without 
reserve, their morals and their fait h . 

7. Nor did they, under any circumstances, however try- 
ing, involve themselves in contradiction. Although they flour- 
ished at widely different periods ; were brought up in different 
countries, and under various governments ; possessed an infi- 
nite variety of talents and acquirements ; acted under hostile 
and conflicting circumstances ; and wrote, ostensibly, for the 
accomplishment of different objects, they harmonized in every 
instance, both in the exhibition of doctrines, and the statement 
of facts. Diversified as they were in almost every other par- 
ticular, in these, they were perfectly consistent. Their facts 
and sentiments were all convergent to a single point, and that 
point was the moral government of God by the agency of 
Jesus Christ. 

8. These writers, it is true, represented the divine go- 
vernment as presenting, in the long lapse of time, a variety 
of aspects ; but this representation involves, in no respect the 
shadow of a contradiction. The primeval, patriarchal, mosai- 
cal, and christian dispensations, are as evidently consistent with 
one another, and as probably emanated from the same source, as 
that the ever varying, and sometimes apparently contradictory 
productions of nature, came from the same hand. We not only 
observe in the history of the same people, alternations of pros- 
perity and adversity ; but also in that of the same country, 
changes in the climate, the productions, the diseases, and almost 

7. What is the fifth proof of their candour? 

8. What objection is here answered? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



27 



every other circumstance ; but these changes, instead of in- 
dicating operations of contradictory agencies, are only the 
varied doings of the same God, for the accomplishment of 
the same object. Diversity without contradiction is evident 
in the whole economy of nature ; and why should it not ob- 
tain in the economy of grace 1 In the revolutions of the 
heavenly bodies, all are changing, and yet all are in har- 
mony. The variations of their relative positions ; of the 
centres of gravity ; of light and obscuration ; and of the ac- 
tion of the centrifugal and centripetal forces, are not only 
all produced by the same mind, but are in harmony with the 
same laws. Nor is there any reason why the same variety, 
comprehending the same harmony, should not exist in the 
moral government of God. 

9. In view of the candour of the sacred writers, as 
evinced in the absence of all selfish zeal for the support of 
any particular school or party theory ; in their child-like sim- 
plicity in the description of facts; in their unsophisticated 
expectations in regard to the reception of their stories ; in 
their uncompromising impartiality in speaking of themselves 
and others ; in their anxious desire to have their statements 
examined at the time, and in the place, which of all others, 
were the most likely to lead to their detection if they were 
not true; and in the unvarying and superhuman consistency 
of their testimony, under the most dissimilar and contradic- 
tory circumstances — it is scarcely possible to disbelieve they 
were the subjects of inspiration. That the sacred writers 
were widely different from other writers is evident beyond 
controversy ; and we are driven to the necessity of believing 
they had reached the perfection of composition without labour, 
without instruction, and without human assistance; or that 
they were aided by supernatural agency. And unquestion- 
ably the latter conclusion is the more reasonable. 

9. What is the summing up of this argument? 



28 



A SYSTEM OF 



ARGUMENT IV. 

1. The pure and elevated morality of the writers of the 
holy scriptures also corroborates their pretensions to inspira- 
tion. 

2. But few men, upon the ground of moral excellence, 
possessed stronger claims to the admiration of posterity than 
the first of these sacred penmen. Born in a land of despot- 
ism ; bred amid the luxuries of a gay and dissipated court ; 
surrounded, from his earliest youth, with the deep clouds of 
ignorance and superstition ; and prompted by the circumstan- 
ces of his pupilage to the aspirations of royalty, it was na- 
tural for him to disregard the ties of consanguinity ; and in 
the splendour of his fortune, to forget the miseries of his peo- 
ple. From the Egyptians he had much to hope ; and from 
the Hebrews he had nothing. The former were a magnifi- 
cent and powerful nation ; and the latter had long been a de- 
graded and enslaved people. But in spite of the weakness 
of human nature, he "refused to be called the son of Pha- 
raoh's daughter ; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the 
people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a sea- 
son."* Renouncing the throne of Egypt, and relinquishing 
the treasures of a tributary world, he sought his comfort and 
his glory only in the emancipation and prosperity of a wretch- 
ed and oppressed people. For them he provoked perils, en- 
dured sufferings, and performed prodigies of kindness. The 
annals of time, perhaps, furnish no instance of a protracted 
and disinterested devotion to a hard-hearted and disobedient 
people, equal to the history of Moses. From the commence- 
ment of his public life, till its termination by death, he was 
engaged, at the expense of his earthly comfort, in promoting 
the interest and glory of his people. For them he wrote his- 

1. What is the fourth argument? 

2. Which is the first instance to prove this position ? 

*Heb. 11:24, 25. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



29 



tory and composed poetry ; formed a government and or- 
dained laws ; fought battles and won victories ; and, what, 
perhaps, in his condition, was still more extraordinary, taught 
lessons of a pure morality, and exemplified those lessons in 
his own conduct, At the end of a long life, unremittingly 
devoted to the happiness of his people, he died without wealth, 
and without perpetuating his titles to his descendants ; leaving 
an imperishable monument of profound wisdom, and disin- 
terested benevolence. Long as a single vestige of Jewish 
history remains, Moses will be revered not only as a bene- 
factor to his country, but also to the world. 

3. Nor is the history of David, upon the score of moral 
excellence, less entitled to our notice. Owing to the rapid 
and trying changes through which he passed, his character, 
perhaps, was more developed, and shone, at times, with 
greater lustre than even that of Moses. Called in early life 
from the flocks of timid sheep, and the herds of gentle cattle, 
to the achievement of a victory, which decided the fate of 
nations, he had much to cherish pride and excite vanity ; 
persecuted by his royal master for this very victory, and 
harassed by the rebellion and disobedience of his own sons, 
he was peculiarly obnoxious to a hatred of mankind ; sur- 
rounded by predatory nations, and worried by reckless and 
ambitious subjects, he had strong motives to revenge and des- 
potism; possessed with exquisite sensibility and surpassing 
genius, his nature prompted him to study and repose; thwart- 
ed, disappointed, and crushed by misfortunes to the dust, he 
was singularly liable to dejection and despair ; and afflicted 
by the loss of friends and the death of relatives, he had strong 
temptations to impiety and recklessness; — but in spite of 
these, and of every obstruction to a calm and judicious course 
of action, he exhibited, with uniform lustre, the gentle and 
the generous virtues. Notwithstanding the ungrateful and 
provoking conduct of his subjects, he was pre-eminently pa- 

3. Which is the second instance to prove this position ? 
3* 



30 



A SYSTEM OF 



triotic. His language, in reference to the very seat of disaf- 
fection and rebellion was, "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, 
let my right hand forget its cunning. If I do not remember 
thee let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth." Nor 
was he less eminent for a passive and forgiving temper in the 
midst of domestic and local provocations; an unobtrusive 
and conciliating humility in the zenith of prosperity; a pla- 
cid and unyielding firmness in the vortex of revolution ; and 
a combination of lofty and pious feelings in the midst of 
temptations. Like the sun, emerging from the opacity of an 
interposing sphere, he always shone with increased bright- 
ness, after the temporary obscuration had passed away. 

4. David, on one occasion, it is true, yielding to the infir- 
mities of his nature, fixed upon his reputation a foul and re- 
volting blot. Soon, however, his moral principles regained 
their former vigour, and he made all the reparation the cir- 
cumstances of the case demanded. The royal sinner, in- 
stead of defending himself by the arm of power, instantly 
fell at his reprover's feet, and confessed his fault. Regret 
for his former sins, and promises of future amendment, now 
marked the conduct of repentant David. And this, in the 
most decisive manner, proved the sincerity and firmness of 
his virtue. Nothing short of a deep and permanently seated 
morality, could have induced the offender, under the circum- 
stances then existing, to have repented as he did. It was 
the voice of God, speaking to a conscience deeply imbued 
with virtue, that at once disarmed power, subdued pride, and 
excited penitence. Controling, as David did, the whole re- 
sources of his kingdom, he would not have submitted to the 
chiding of a single man> had he not been governed by prin- 
ciples of virtue. 

But not to confine our remarks to writers of the Old Tes- 
tament, we will advert briefly to some of the New. 

5. St. Paul, who was alike distinguished for his talents and 

4. How is the objection to David's morality obviated? 

5. Which is the third instance to prove this position ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



31 



acquirements, was brought up in strict conformity with the 
law of Moses ; but having, on due reflection, embraced the 
christian religion, became one of its most able and zealous 
defenders. Prominent, however, as he was in those respects, 
he was still more distinguished for his moral excellence. The 
annals of human beings scarcely famish a single instance 
of a brighter and sublimer constellation of virtues, shining 
in the character of one man, than was possessed by this in- 
dividual. All that is lovely and conciliating in demeanour ; 
noble and heroic in enterprize; lofty and pure in sentiment, 
entered into the composition of his conduct. 

In the numerous and trying scenes through which he was 
conducted, he uniformly exhibited the greatest cheerfulness 
and amenity. "We are troubled," said he, "on every side, 
but not distressed ; we are perplexed but not in despair ; per- 
secuted but not forsaken ; cast down but not destroyed." 
When charged before his country's tribunals with crimes of 
the blackest dye, he repelled the accusation with a firmness, so 
attempered with meekness, that he conciliated even his in- 
censed judges. In his defence before Agrippa, he opened in 
a strain of courtesy, equalled only by his eloquence. "I 
think myself happy, king Agrippa," said he, "because I 
shall answer for myself this day before thee, touching all the 
things whereof I am accused of the Jews ; especially because 
I know thee to be expert in all the customs and questions 
which are among the Jews : wherefore I beseech thee to hear 
me patiently." And when interrupted by the exclamation 
of Festus, "Paul, thou art beside thyself, much learning doth 
make thee mad," he replied, "I am not mad, most noble 
Festus, but speak forth the words of truth and soberness." 

Having embraced the cause of Christianity, he resolved at 
all hazards to extend its blessings. Neither the opposition 
of the Jew, nor the persecution of the Gentile, could deter 
him from testifying to all nations, the gospel of the grace of 
God. In spite of Jewish ferocity and Roman arrogance; of 
temporal interest^ and personal sufferings, he proclaimed, in 



32 



A SYSTEM OF 



the imperial city and on the hill of Zion ; within the walls of 
Damascus and among the Greeks ; in the islands of the sea 
and among the hills of Palestine, the unsearchable riches of 
the cross of Christ. Such was the intensity of his benevo- 
lence, that he resolved to spend and be spent in the service 
of his people. "I say the truth in Christ," said he, "I lie 
not, my conscience bearing me witness in the holy ghost, 
that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 
For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ, for 
my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh." 

While " performing labours more abundant, receiving 
stripes above measure, being in prison more frequent, in 
deaths oft, receiving of the Jews five times forty stripes save 
one, being thrice beaten with rods, once stoned, thrice suf- 
fering shipwreck, being a night and a day in the deep, in 
journeyings often, in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in 
perils by his own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in 
perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the 
sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness and pain- 
fulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings 
often, in cold and nakedness," he exclaimed, "none of these 
things move me, neither count I my life dear to myself, so 
that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry 
which I have received of the Lord Jesus." 

Although he felt that in " every city bonds and affliction 
awaited him," he was continually animated with the most 
lofty and sublime sentiments of charity. Lessons of the 
purest morals, and discourses of the highest interest, bright- 
ened his daily labours; not only when addressing the philo- 
sophers of Greece and Rome, but also when traversing the 
stormy deep, wandering among his inhospitable countrymen, 
and pining with sickness in confinement. " Though," said 
he, " I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and 
have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or tinkling 
cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and un- 
derstand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. i 33 

ail faith, so that I can remove mountains, and have not 
charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods 
to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, 
and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." 

And conscious that he had practised the morality which 
he had preached to others, he declared, " I am pure of the 
blood of ail men. For I have not shunned to declare unto 
you all the counsel of God. I have coveted no man's silver 
or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these 
hands have ministered to my necessities, and to them that 
were with me. I have showed you all things, how that, so 
labouring, ye ought to support the weak, and to remember 
the words of the Lord Jesus, it is more blessed to give than 
to receive." 

6. In the life of Jesus Christ, we perceive a purity and 
sublimity of morals, never exemplified by any other being. 
In this respect he is not only without a rival, but without one 
even pretending to be his equal. Our fullest conceptions of 
moral excellence are abundantly exemplified in the history 
of this individual. In his conduct, the relative duties, from 
the minutest acts of decorum to the most stupendous virtues, 
appear adjusted, harmonized, and placed without a foil, or a 
single blemish. Here we discover piety without enthusiasm, 
firmness without obstinacy; strictness without severity; zeal 
without intemperance; gentleness without servility; obedience 
without meanness; and benevolence without ostentation. 
The gentler and severer virtues, mingling in his conduct like 
colours in the rainbow, present to us an original of moral 
excellence, never even dreamed of in the annals of heathen 
ethics. Punctuality and fervour in his devotions; benevo- 
lence to all mankind; attention to the laws and customs of 
his country; obedience to his parents; kindness to his rela- 
tives; fortitude in affliction; patience under persecution, and 
kindness to the distressed, were virtues which appeared with 



6, Which is the fourth instance to prove this position ? 



34 



A SYSTEM OF 



a prominence in him, not simply unsurpassed, but never 
equalled, nor even thought of by any other being, appearing 
in the form of human nature. His whole life consisted in 
doing good. It was his meat and drink to do the will of his 
heavenly father, and to finish the work which he had given 
him to do. 

Nor was his moral excellence less conspicuous in his death 
than it had been in his life. During the former stages of his 
pilgrimage he had appeared in many deeply interesting and 
important points of light ; but there was still wanting an op- 
portunity to exhibit the greater resources of his goodness. 
It is not in the bright and sunny scenes of prosperity, under 
circumstances creating and invigorating hope; when all 
around are emulous to bestow the meed of praise, and the 
reward of merit, that a good man appears to the best ad- 
vantage; — but rather under the frowns of a ruthless destiny , 
amid the wild and disastrous war of elements ; and in the 
torments and agonies of death. It is then that, in the eye 
of wisdom, he appears in the sublimity of goodness. And 
thus it was with the son of God. " Where," says Rous- 
seau, " is the man? where is the philosopher? who can act, 
and suffer, and die, without weakness and ostentation? When 
Plato describes his imaginary just man, covered with all the 
opprobrium of guilt, yet at the same time meriting the sub- 
limest reward of virtue, he paints precisely every feature in 
Jesus Christ. Blind, indeed, must be the mind of that man, 
who dares to compare the son of Sophronicus with the son of 
Mary ! What a distance there is between the one and the 
other ! The death of Socrates, philosophizing calmly with 
his friends, is the most gentle that can be wished;; — that of 
Jesus, expiring in torments, insulted, derided, and reviled 
by all around him, the most horrible that can be imagined. 
Socrates, taking the poisoned cup, blesses the man who gave 
it to him, and he, in the act of presenting it, melts into tears : 
Jesus, in the midst of the most agonizing torments, prays 
for his persecutors ! If the life and death of Socrates pro- 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



35 



claimed him to be a sage, the life and death of Jesus prove 
him to be a god." 

7. That the writers of the holy scriptures were inferior, 
in point of moral excellence, to Jesus Christ, we readily 
admit; and that some of them, in this respect, were not 
equal even to uninspired men, we shall not deny; but all of 
them were advocates of a pure morality, and always, after 
the greatest lapses, indicated a contrition, which could have 
originated only in a true sense of their obligations. The re- 
cord of their imperfections and self-abasement, made with 
their own hands, considered in its true light, affords decisive 
evidence of the purity and paramount influence of their moral 
principles. 

8. If, then, the writers of the holy scriptures exemplified 
a higher standard of moral excellence than other men have 
done, they must have been what they pretended to be. " By 
their fruits ye shall know them," is, for the ascertainment of 
human character, the safest rule that ever was, or ever can 
be given ; and by the application of this rule, in the present 
case, the conclusion at which we have arrived is unavoid- 
able. If the sacred writers, without authority, claimed to 
be the messengers of God, and, in contradiction to reality 
and truth, established a religion pretending to have originated 
in heaven ; if they devoted their whole life in fixing upon the 
human mind a system of superstition and falsehood — it is ab- 
solutely impossible for them to have been good men; or to 
have borne, even in an ordinary degree, the fruits of moral 
excellence. But as they not only did bear these fruits, but 
bore them in the highest degree of perfection, the justness of 
their claims to the inspirations of the holy spirit is indubit- 
able. Until nature shall have turned recreant to herself, and 
we " gather grapes of thorns, and figs of thistles," it will 
appear that the writers of the holy scriptures, having been 

7. What follows from the inferior morality of the writers of the holy 
scripture? 

8. What is the inference from the above premises ? 



36 



A SYSTEM OF 



pre-eminent in moral excellence, could not have been guilty 
of persevering in a known system of fraud and falsehood. 
And if they were not thus guilty, they were what they pre- 
tended to be; and being what they pretended to be, they were 
the subjects of inspiration. 

ARGUMENT V. 

9. The early and rapid spread of Christianity, under the 
circumstances of the case, is another proof of the divine in- 
spiration of the scriptures. 

1. In fifty days after the resurrection of the Saviour, more 
than three thousand were converted and added to the church; 
and we are assured that, even in the apostolic age, the sound 
of the apostles went into all the earth, and their words unto 
the ends of the world.* Nor is the fact of the early and 
rapid spread of Christianity sustained merely by christian 
writers, but also by Jewish and pagan authors. In a letter 
to the Emperor Tragan, Pliny the younger says, " Many of 
all ranks, and ages, and sexes, had attached themselves to 
this community — that the contagion of their superstition had 
not only overspread cities, but also country villages — that 
the temples were desolated, the holy solemnities neglected, 
and the sacrifices had no purchasers." And we have, at the 
present time, in corroboration of these statements, remnants 
of christian churches, planted at an early period, in Asia 
Minor, Africa, the East Indies, Abyssinia, and in almost 
every portion of the old world. If, indeed, there is any 
credibility in the testimony of history, of monuments, which 
have stood for ages, and of rites and ceremonies, as old as 
Christianity itself, the spread of this religion, not only through- 
out the Roman empire, but through the greater portion of the 

9. What is the fifth argument? 

1. How is the early and rapid spread of Christianity proved? 
* Rom. 10:18. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



37 



then civilized world, during the apostolic age, is a position 
beyond the reach of controversy. 

2. But that a system of religion, originated by an obscure, 
unlettered, and isolated individual — a religion hostile to the 
superstition of the pagan, the early and entire education of 
the Jew, and the habits, propensities, and views of all man- 
kind — a religion promising to its disciples nothing from the 
present world but contumely, persecution, and death — advo- 
cated only by the fisherman, the tent maker, and the publi- 
can; and opposed by the orator, the sanhedrim, and the civil 
authority — a religion despised by the lordly Roman, ridiculed 
by the witty Greek, and detested by the superstitious Jew; — 
that a religion, thus originated, thus supported, and thus op- 
posed, should triumph over every obstacle, enter the very 
temple, exert an influence in the palace, control the feelings 
of the army, overthrow the altar, and destroy the very 
household gods — and that too, in the face of the greatest 
perils, in defiance of the severest persecutions, and in the 
absence of all earthly motives, is, unquestionably, the 
most singular and extraordinary occurrence recorded in the 
annals of the world; and can be accounted for only upon the 
supposition of divine interference. 

3. A profound and philosophical writer, it is true, has un- 
dertaken to account for this occurrence upon natural princi- 
ples. He contends that the inflexible and intolerant zeal of 
the primitive christians, in the propagation of their tenets — 
the doctrine of a future life, which they exhibited under every 
aspect that could give it weight and efficacy — the claims of 
the apostles to the power of working miracles — the purity 
and austerity of their morals — and the union and discipline 
among themselves — were natural causes, sufficient to pro- 
duce the early and rapid spread of Christianity. And it must 

2. How is the early and rapid spread of Christianity singular? 

3. How, upon natural principles, is the early and rapid spread of 
Christianity accounted for ? 

4 



3S 



A SYSTEM OF 



be owned, that if those causes were not sufficient, it is im- 
possible to imagine any that could be so. We will then ex- 
amine them for a few moments. 

4. That, upon natural principles, an inflexible and intol- 
erant zeal, in the propagation of christian tenets> could, in 
the outset, secure to them a rapid and extensive popularity, 
is utterly impossible. Christians, at the beginning of their 
career, were not only few in number, but destitute of learn- 
ing, talents, wealth, and every other qualification, humanly 
speaking, calculated to conciliate confidence ; and, in this 
condition, intolerance, of all things, was most unlikely to 
ensure success. For individuals, under these circumstances, 
to array themselves against the interest and prejudices of 
mankind, and denounce the doctrines, worship, and customs 
of every nation under heaven, was inevitably, according to 
the course of human events, to draw upon them the scorn 
and derision of the world. It clearly was prudent, in the 
early christians, to be as conciliatory as possible; and a con- 
trary course, if they were abettors of imposture, would, ac- 
cording to the known principles of human nature, have pro- 
duced any result sooner than success. 

5. Nor was the exhibition of the doctrine of a future life, 
even under every aspect that human ingenuity could devise 
to give it weight and efficacy, likely to succeed better. It is 
not the exhibition of a doctrine simply that induces a dispo- 
sition to receive it, but the proof of its correctness* Unac- 
customed as the Jews and pagans were to a religion purely 
spiritual, nothing short of an ocular demonstration of its di- 
vinity, could, in opposition to every earthly consideration, 
have disposed them to receive one of this description. An 
abstract and metaphysical proposition, like that of the im- 
mortality of the human soul, having another world for the 
sphere of its operation, is not likeiy, without proof, to induce 

4. How does the first allegation appear false ? 

5. How does the second allegation appear false? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



39 



the multitude, immersed in sensuality, at the hazard of their 
reputation, their fortune, and their lives, to embrace it. A 
clear and satisfactory proof of its correctness only can have 
this effect. Socrates, with greater talents, higher literary 
acquirements, and a more imposing reputation, than the apos- 
tles possessed, taught the doctrine of a future life, to little or 
no purpose. With all his weight of character, and persua- 
sive rhetorick, he excited no commotion, and gained but few 
adherents. Though, under the most impressive circum- 
stances, he promulged the doctrine of immortality, he was 
not only put to death for the act, but his doctrine sunk with 
him to the tomb ; and neither the light of science, the sanc- 
tion of the schools, nor the most engaging eloquence, could 
revive it, to any great extent, till the coming of the son of 
God. 

6. The apostolic method of announcing the doctrine of a 
future life, was not only not sufficient to make proselytes, but 
was, in itself, calculated to repel belief. Instead of mixing 
with it productions of the imagination congenial with the 
taste and habits of sensual and depraved beings, as Odin, 
Mahomet, and other impostors did ; the apostles proclaimed 
it under modifications, in the highest degree, repulsive to the 
world. The Jew was commanded to renounce the religion 
of his fathers ; the pagan to abandon his superstition and his 
idols ; the warrior to sacrifice his ambition and his glory ; 
the wise and powerful to empty themselves of their worldly 
greatness ; the pleasure taker to relinquish, without reserve, 
his guilty enjoyments ; and every one, under the penalty of 
eternal torments, to live a righteous and godly life. A doc- 
trine promulgated with such appendages, in the supposition 
of its being false, and consequently without proof, was not 
only not adapted to make proselytes, but was eminently cal- 
culated to create enemies. 

6. What was the apostolic method of announcing the gospel ? 



40 



A SYSTEM OF 



7. That the pretension simply of the apostles to the power 
of working miracles, could ensure success, is a position too 
trifling to deserve notice. They would naturally be required 
to demonstrate the reality of their pretensions, and in failing 
to comply with the requirement would provoke universal de- 
testation. This would as certainly have been the case, as 
that human nature then was, what it now is. That Jews and 
Gentiles: orators and philosophers; exasperated as they 
were against Christianity, would be induced to lay aside their 
prejudice and superstition, and submit to every sort of per- 
secution, merely because the apostles said they could work 
miracles, is a position which the most splendid sophistry can 
never protect from ridicule and scorn. 

8. That the pure and austere morals of the primitive chris- 
tians did contribute to the progress of Christianity there is no 
doubt; but the absurdity of the supposition, that vile and 
nefarious impostors could yield such precious fruit, is evident 
at the first blush. If the claims of this new religion were 
founded on mere pretence, the fact, of course, was known to 
its first adherents ; and with the knowledge that they were 
practising a ruinous deception upon mankind, the possession 
of good morals was impossible. A deliberate and systematic 
intention to deceive, involving the destruction of human 
beings, can never harmonize with pure morals. In the long 
and revolting calendar of mortal aberrations, but few are 
equal, in turpitude, to cold blooded duplicity and reckless im- 
posture. And, that, in the possession of these qualities, the 
primitive christians should have continued to make proselytes, 
by the innocence and purity of their conduct, is one of those 
conclusions, which refutes itself by its own absurdity. 

9. The unanimity of the first christians in adhering to the 
doctrines and discipline of their community, undoubtedly 

7. How does the third allegation appear false? 

8. How does the fourth allegation appear false ? 

9. How does the fifth allegation appear false ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



41 



gave them a moral influence, which they otherwise would 
not have possessed; but still, if their doctrines had been gra- 
tuitous in point of fact, and their discipline hostile to the in- 
terests and habits of the world, unanimity in their adherents 9 
could not have gained them proselytes. Even union, in a 
bad cause, could not have overcome prejudice, annihilated 
self interest, prostrated the usages of ages, and given a new 
direction to the mental and moral operations of the world. 
But while there was union among the christians, there was 
still greater union among those who persecuted them, so that, 
as far as unanimity was concerned, it vastly preponderated 
in favor of the antichristian cause. 

1. The natural causes assigned for the early and rapid 
spread of Christianity being evidently inadequate, it follows 
that this event must have been produced by supernatural 
agency. The peaceful and resistless march of Christianity ; 
its conquest over Jewish prejudice and Roman arrogance ,• its 
demolition of heathen errors, though consecrated by the lapse 
of ages, beautified^ by classic elegance, and sustained by the 
arm of civil government; its influence on the Jewish rabbi 
and philosophic Greek ; and its immediate and instantaneous 
conversion of unbelieving multitudes, comprehending all ranks 
and conditions of men, furnish a proof of its divine original, 
which never has, and never can be overthrown. 



ARGUMENT VI. 

2. The present existence of the holy scriptures, in con- 
nexion with the circumstances of the case, prove them to be 
the word of God. 

3. That the four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles are 

1. What is the inference from the premises ? 

2. What is the sixth argument ? 

3. What is the first proposition of this argument? 

4* 



42 



A SYSTEM OF 



now extant, is a position insusceptible of contradiction. Of 
the existence of these books we have as strong proof as we 
have of our own. We see them with our eyes, feel them 
with our hands, and pronounce them with our lips. To ques- 
tion their existence, therefore, is impossible. Every indivi- 
dual, in the possession of the ordinary faculties of human 
nature, is, by the testimony of his own senses, compelled to 
admit our first statement. 

4. That these books pretend to have been written and pub- 
lished shortly after the occurrence of the events which they 
describe, is equally evident. The authors aver that they 
were contemporary with Jesus Christ, were called by him to 
the apostleship, and witnessed with their own eyes the prin- 
cipal things which they recorded. St. Matthew informs us 
that he was called to the apostleship while he was sitting at 
the receipt of custom.* Mark is said to have been contem- 
porary with Paul and Silas, and to have been employed with 
them in the first promulgation of the gospel among the Gen- 
tiles.f St. Luke says, " That having a perfect understand- 
ing of all these things from the first, it seemed good to him 
also to write and set them in order.' } \ St. John asserts that 
he was called the " beloved apostle that he leaned upon 
the bosom of the saviour ; witnessed his crucifixion, and saw 
him after his resurrection.^ And St. Luke having written 
the Acts of the Apostles, they, of course, have the same 
claim to an early composition that his Gospel has. 

Now, as the authors of the books in question claim to have 
been contemporary with Jesus Christ, it follows that those 
books pretend to have been written shortly after his cruci- 
fixion. For unless the writers lived far beyond the limits of 
human existence, or wrote after they were dead, they must 
have written, what they did write, shortly after this event, 
with which they declare they were contemporary. 

4. What is the second proposition of the sixth argument ? 

* Mat. 9:9, t Acts 15 : 39, 40. \ Luke 1:3. § John ch. 21. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



43 



5. Nor is the pretence of these books to an early publica- 
tion, less evident than to an early composition. St. Luke 
wrote his Gospel to Theophilus, a contemporary and friend ; 
and the Acts of the Apostles he dedicated to the same person. 
The whole portion of scripture, in question, bears upon it 
the unequivocal pretence of a publication immediately after 
being written. The writers appeal to living witnesses of the 
events they describe, and refer to circumstances then in the 
recollection of their readers. 

6. From the certainty that the four Gospels, and the Acts 
of the Apostles, pretend to have been written and published 
shortly after the occurrence of the events they describe, it 
follows that that pretence is a reality. 

7. That books, adapted to the excitement of intense and 
universal interest, should come into existence, long after the 
pretended date of their publication, and escape detection, is 
not possible. Were a book now to spring into existence, de- 
scribing the adventures of Julius Caesar, or of any other 
person of antiquity, telling us the author was contemporary 
with his hero, and saw the events he describes, with his own 
eyes, and that his descriptions were published soon after the 
occurrence of those events, it would be immediately repu- 
diated. Every one would say, " If this book had been in 
existence as long as it pretends to have been, we should have 
heard of it before. The history, or at least the fact of its 
publication, in some form or other, would have been handed 
down to us. It would have been quoted by some author, read 
by some individual, or in some other way noticed in the dif- 
ferent stages of its progress. Human nature, in matters of 
this description, is too curious to be imposed upon. For a 
book to steal down the current of time, without attracting the 
notice of any one, and suddenly to burst upon the world, in 

5. What is the pretence of these books in regard to publication ? 

6. What is the third proposition of the sixth argument? 

7. How, in the first instance, is the third proposition proved ? 



44 



A SYSTEM OF 



full proof of its antiquity; or even to pretend, successfully, 
to an origin long anterior to its existence, is clearly impos- 
sible. An instance of this kind never did, and never can, 
occur. Had the four Gospels, and the Acts of the Apostles, 
been published subsequently to the period they claim to have 
been, we, long since, should have heard the universal ex- 
clamation, " Here, indeed, is a strange thing ! Books, de- 
scribing the most singular, important, and interesting events, 
and pretending to have been published shortly after the oc- 
currence of those events, are now heard of for the first time I 
Years and years have rolled away, and all, concerning these 
books, have been as silent as the grave ; and suddenly books, 
pretending to great antiquity, spring into existence ! Books 
which no one had ever seen, or heard, or dreamed of before ! 
They cannot be genuine ! They bear upon their own front 
indelible marks of deception and imposture." 

8. The books in question, at any period, on being pub- 
lished, must have produced a great sensation. A record of 
the life, death, and resurrection of an individual; the over- 
throw of judaism; the introduction of new morals, new 
customs, and a new faith; and the establishment of anew 
community, upon new principles, was calculated to excite a 
deep and universal attention ; and the origin and authenticity 
of such a record would have been examined with the in- 
tensest interest ; and if deception had been found upon it, an 
exposure of that deception was inevitable. The restless cu- 
riosity, the love of truth, and the desire for distinction, in- 
herent in human nature, and the literary intelligence, which 
has existed in every age, among civilized nations, would in- 
fallibly have led to this result. 

9. It being admitted that the four Gospels and the Acts of 
the Apostles actually were published shortly after the occur- 
rence of the events they describe, it follows that the state* 

8, How, in the second instance, is the third proposition proved I 

9. What is the fourth proposition of the sixth argument ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



45 



merits contained in these books are true. The time and 
place in which the publication was made — the nature of the 
events narrated — the state of things then existing — and the 
effects of the publication, all concur in forcing upon us this 
conclusion. 

1. If the narrative contained in these books was not true, 
the authors, of course, knew it to be false ; and, in the pos- 
session of this knowledge, they would not have made it 
public at the time they did. That individuals in the posses- 
sion of common sense, would declare in writing to their 
contemporaries, that, to their own knowledge, a person call- 
ing himself Christ, was proclaimed by a voice from heaven 
to be the son of God — that he healed the sick, raised the 
dead, cast out devils, and controlled the elements — and that, 
after being crucified, he rose from the dead, and, in the pre- 
sence of numerous witnesses, ascended up to heaven ; and 
that, in this tangible and specific way, they would make this 
declaration to persons living at the very time the events in 
question were said to have happened, and refer to thousands 
and ten of thousands of living witnesses for the truth of the 
declaration, transcends all bounds of probability. 

2. But the four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles were 
published not only soon after the occurrence of the events 
which they describe, but also in the very place in which 
they were said to have happened. In Palestine, where the 
miracles of the saviour were performed, the books of which 
we are now speaking were written and published. And this 
was done — not from necessity, but from choice. In view, 
then, of the utter improbability of impostors, who are always 
apprehensive of detection, selecting such a scene for the 
operation of a fraud, involving the dearest interest of their 
fellow-creatures, and consequently calculated to incite the 
severest scrutiny, the conclusion is, that the statements con- 

1. How, in the first instance, is the fourth proposition proved ? 

2. How, in the second instance, is the fourth proposition proved? 



46 



A SYSTEM OF 



tained in these books are true, and were, at the time of their 
publication, susceptible of the strongest proof. 

3. Nor is the character of the narrative of these books 
less conducive to the same result. Instead of being a conge- 
ries of metaphysical propositions, or a tangled combination 
of incomprehensible dialectics, it treats of subjects admitting 
of immediate adjudication ; subjects which appealed directly 
to the eye, the ear, and the senses of the people. Whether 
Jesus Christ had performed the miracles attributed to him or 
not, was a question, not of reason, but of fact ; and on the 
solution of this question was voluntarily staked the success 
of his abettors. Had they placed their claims to public cre- 
dence upon mysterious and contingent circumstances, there 
would be some ground for apprehending the existence of 
error or duplicity ; but as they came forward in the face 
of day, and before the searching judicatories of their own 
country, and placed, cheerfully, the verity of their new re- 
ligion upon the simple basis of recently existent facts, open 
to the inspection of every one, there can be no doubt of their 
veracity. The wildest charlatan that ever existed could not 
be so foolish as to claim a, belief of the divine inspiration of 
the scriptures, upon the ground of existing miracles, if those 
miracles were not, and could not be pointed out. But the 
evidence of miracles, witnessed, as they alledged, by thou- 
sands, and tens of thousands of individuals, was, in the first 
instance, the only kind of proof offered by the evangelists 
in attestation of their religion ; and this evidence they offered 
repeatedly and triumphantly. Having thus ventured their 
all upon that kind of evidence, which, of all others, was the 
most easily refuted, if not valid, the inference is, it was 
valid. 

4. A critical and candid reference to the state of things, 
when the books in question were first published, will also 

3. How, in the third instance, is the fourth proposition proved? 

4. How, in the fourth instance, is the fourth proposition proved? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



47 



show, with a high degree of certainty, the correctness of 
their contents. 

5. The Jews, who, in Palestine, still retained supreme au- 
thority in matters of religion, were attached to the laws of 
Moses with an inveterate and superstitious obstinacy ; the 
Gentiles, who wielded the arm of civil government, were not 
only jealous, but prompt defenders of their faith. Myriads, 
who, still remembering, with exasperated feelings, imposi- 
tions which false prophets had practised on them, were on 
the alert to prevent the recurrence of similar misfortunes ; 
and a deep and morbid prejudice almost universally prevailed 
against the propagation of a new faith. Such was the state 
of things when Jesus Christ and his apostles first broached 
the doctrines of Christianity. And that, under these circum- 
stances, men of common sense would attempt to establish a 
new religion, which not only assailed, with uncompromising 
severity, the customs and manners of the world, but was ad- 
vocated only by a few illiterate and powerless individuals., 
who themselves knew it to be false; and that they would 
persevere in this attempt, at the risk of every earthly inte- 
rest, is, without exaggeration, the most improbable thing 
ever suggested to the mind of man. That the apostles would 
have assumed an attitude of hostility against the religion of 
the Gentiles ; provoked the unappeasable vengeance of the 
Jews ; and rushed deliberately upon the terrors of a violent 
death, by a pertinacious adherence to a narrative, knowing 
it to be false, is in contradiction to every principle of human 
nature. Such an event not only never did, but never can 
occur, till human nature has undergone a total and impos- 
sible transmutation. That mankind, constituted as they now 
are, can prefer misery to happiness, or a violent death to a 
comfortable existence, without the hope of even a contingent 
remuneration, is no less impossible than the annihilation of 

5. What was this state of things? 



43 



A SYSTEM OF 



the laws of nature, without producing any change in the ag- 
gregate order of things. 

6. The effects of the publication of the gospel, are also 
conclusive proofs of the correctness of its statements. Soon 
after the ascension of the saviour, many thousands were 
converted to Christianity, and places of public worship esta- 
blished in almost every part of the civilized world. Among 
the converts to this new religion were men of distinguished 
learning, talents, and reputation. Paul, the active and effi- 
cient champion of judaism; Dyonisius, the areopagite; 
Apollos, the rhetorician, and many others, whose fame and 
learning have descended to the present time, bowed to the 
majesty of truth, as exhibited in the gospel of the son of 
God. 

7. Nor has the force of evidence, which impressed and 
overwhelmed the minds of those mighty men, been impaired 
in the lapse of ages : but in every period of the christian 
era, statesmen, philosophers, and men of letters, have not 
only yielded to its influence, but become its ardent and sue- 
cessful champions. In the long vista, stretching from the 
present time to the commencement of the apostolic age, we 
behold a host of the literati, rising, like pyramids of light, 
in defence of the christian doctrine. 

8. And that a narrative, immediately on its publication, 
producing such effects, and continuing those effects through 
the lapse of eighteen hundred years, notwithstanding the 
rigid, critical, and laborious investigations of the candid, and 
the most untiring and malignant opposition of the prejudiced, 
is founded on truth, there cannot, in the eye of reason, remain 
the shadow of a doubt. 

9. The truth of the gospel narrative being then admitted, 

6. How, in the fifth instance, is the fourth proposition proved? 

7. Has the force of this evidence diminished in the lapse of time ? 

8. What is the inference from the effects of this evidence ? 

9. What is the fifth proposition? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



49 



it follows that Jesus Christ and his apostles were what they 
claimed to be. If they performed the miracles attributed to 
them in this narrative, it is impossible to doubt a moment 
they were assisted by supernatural power. The claims of 
the son of God and his apostles to inspiration, are absolutely 
unquestionable, if, in proof of those claims, they performed 
the miracles attributed to them in the holy scriptures. Just 
as certain as the history of the New Testament is true, Jesus 
Christ and his disciples were what they pretended to be. 

1. And that they pretended to be the subjects of inspira- 
tion, is a position not to be controverted. " The words," 
said Jesus Christ, speaking to his apostles, " which you hear, 
are not mine, but the father's, who sent me." "And the 
holy ghost, whom the father will send in my name, he shall 
teach you all things, and bring all things to your remem- 
brance, whatsoever I have said unto you. For it is not ye 
that speak, but the spirit of your father which speaketh in 
you."* 

2. The four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles having 
been written by subjects of divine inspiration, it follows that 
all the other books of the sacred canon derive their existence 
from the same source ; for the latter are expressly recog- 
nized by the former as standing upon this footing. Jesus 
Christ stamped with divine authority the scriptures of the 
Old Testament, both by reading them on public occasions, 
and by declaring, in terms, that he " came not to destroy 
the law and the prophets, but to fulfil them." St. Paul, 
whose inspiration is recognized in the Acts of the Apostles, 
tells us, that " God, at sundry times, and in divers manners, 
spake unto the fathers by the prophets."f And St. Peter, 
who was called to the apostleship by the son of God, avers 

1. What is the sixth proposition? 

2. What is the seventh proposition 7 

* John 14:24, 26. I Heb. 1:1. 

5 v 



50 A SYSTEM OF 

that holy men of old " spake as they were moved by the 
holy ghost."* 

3. The deduction then is, " that all scripture was given 
by inspiration of God."f 



ARGUMENT VII. 

4. The conspicuous and exact fulfilment of many prophe- 
cies, contained in the holy scriptures, is another proof of 
their divine inspiration. 

5. Of the prophecies here alluded to, we will, on the pre- 
sent occasion, notice only two. The first is recorded in the 
52d and 53d chapters of Isaiah, and, according to bishop 
Lowth's translation, reads thus : — 

6. "Behold, my servant shall prosper: 

He shall be raised aloft, and magnified, and very highly ex- 
alted. 

As many were astonished at him; 

(To such a degree was his countenance disfigured, more than 

that of man ; 
And his form, more than the sons of men ;) 
So shall he sprinkle many nations : 
Before him shall kings shut their mouths; 
For what was not before declared to them, they shall see, 
And what they had not heard, they shall attentively consider. 

Who hath believed our report ; 
And to whom hath the arm of Jehovah been manifested ? 
For he groweth up in their sight like a tender sucker : 

3. What is the deduction from the whole ? 
4 What is the seventh argument? 

5. Which is the first prophecy selected? 

6. Whose version is here used ? 



* 2 Pet. 1:21. f 2 Tim. 3:16. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



5 L 



And like a root from a thirsty soil : 

He hath no form, nor any beauty, that we should regard 
him ; 

Nor is his countenance such, that we should desire him* 

Despised, nor accounted in the number of men; 

A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; 

As one that hideth his face from us : 

He was despised, and we esteemed him not. 

Surely our infirmities he hath borne : 

And our sorrows, he hath carried them : 

Yet we thought him judicially stricken ; 

Smitten of God and afflicted. 

But he was wounded for our transgressions ; 

Was smitten for our iniquities : 

The chastizement, by which our peace is effected, was laid 

upon him ; 
And by his bruises we are healed. 
We all of us like sheep have strayed ; 
We have turned aside, every one to his own way ; 
And Jehovah hath made to light upon him the iniquity of 

us all. 

It was exacted, and he was made answerable ; and he opened 

not his mouth: 
As a lamb that is led to the slaughter, 
And as a sheep before her shearers, 
Is dumb; so he opened not his mouth. 
By an oppressive judgment he was taken off; 
And his manner of life who would declare? 
For he was cut off from the land of the living ; 
For the transgression of my people he was smitten to death. 
And his grave was appointed with the wicked ; 
But with the rich was his tomb. k 
Although he had done no wrong, 
Neither was there any guile in his mouth ; 
Yet it pleased Jehovah to crush him with affliction. 



52 



A SYSTEM OF 



If his soul shall make a propitiatory sacrifice. 
He shall see a seed, which shall prolong their days, 
And the gracious purpose of Jehovah shall prosper in his 
hands. 

Of the travail of his soul he shall see [the fruit] and be 
satisfied : 

By the knowledge of him shall my servant justify many; 
For the punishment of their iniquities he shall bear. 
Therefore will I distribute to him the many for his portion ; 
And the mighty people shall he share for his spoil : 
Because he poured his soul out unto death : 
And was numbered with the transgressors : 
And he bare the sin of many ; 
And made intercession for the transgressors." 

7. In order to appreciate the argument founded on this 
prophecy, it will be necessary to notice its authenticity, the 
circumstances by which it is characterized, its applicability 
to Jesus Christ, and its fulfilment. 

8. First, of its authenticity, — These words, says arch- 
deacon Paley,* were extant in a book containing the pre- 
dictions of a writer who lived seven centuries before the 
christian era. And that they were actually delivered before 
the fact to which they are applied took place, or could, by 
any natural means, be foreseen, is, in the present instance, 
incontrovertible. The record comes out of the custody of 
adversaries. The Jews, as an ancient father well observes, 
are our librarians. The passage is contained in their copies 
as well as in ours; and they are as anxious to defend its 
genuineness as we are. With many attempts to explain 
away its meaning, none has ever been made by them to dis- 
credit its authenticity. 

7. What is necessary to appreciate the force of this prophecy ? 

8. How is its authenticity proved ? 

* Evidences of Christianity, article Prophecy. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



53 



9. Secondly, of the circumstances by which it is charac- 
terized. — This prophecy is taken from a writing professedly 
prophetic ; a writing intended to describe such future trans- 
actions and changes in the world as were connected with the 
fate and interests of the Jewish nation. It is not an histo- 
rical or devotional piece of composition, which, because it 
happens to be applicable to some future events, or to some 
future situation of affairs, is presumed to be oracular; but 
was delivered by Isaiah in a prophetic character, with the 
solemnity belonging to that character, and has been always 
understood by the Jewish nation as referring to something 
that was to take place after the time of the author. The 
public and official sentiments of the Jews, concerning Isaiah's 
writings, are recorded in the book of Ecclesiasticus, which 
was ranked among their sacred compositions. " He saw by 
an excellent spirit what should come to pass at last, and he 
comforted them that mourn in Zion. He showed what should 
come to pass forever, and secret things or ever they 
came."* 

1 . This prophecy is not intermixed with other matters ; 
but is entirely separate, and uninterruptedly directed to one 
scene of things. 

2. Thirdly, of its applicability.— The application of this 
prophecy to Jesus Christ is plain, appropriate, and irresist- 
ible. It contains no double sense; no figurative language, 
but what is sufficiently intelligible to every reader, in every 
country. The obscurities, occasioned by expressions of a 
local nature, are few, and unimportant. Nor have varieties 
of readings, or different constructions of the original, as in 
many other passages of scripture, produced any material 
alterations in the sense of the prophecy. 

9. What are the circumstances which characterize this prophecy ? 

1. What other circumstance is mentioned? 

2. What is its applicability ? 

* Eccl. 28 : 24. 
5* 



54 



A SYSTEM OP 



3. Fourthly i of its fulfilment. — As to no other person 
than to Jesus Christ can this prophecy be applied, so in him 
every particular it enumerates is exactly fulfilled. To this 
prediction the history of the son of God is an exact parallel. 
As face answers to face in a mirror, so does the history of 
Jesus Christ answer to the prophecy of Isaiah. This will 
appear by noticing, in juxta-position, the history and the pre- 
diction. He grew up, in the obscurity of his parentage, like 
a tender plant, and like a root out of a dry ground. In his 
external circumstances, he had no form nor beauty, that we 
should regard him, nor was his countenance such as would 
be desired. The foxes had holes, and the birds of the air 
had nests, but he had no where to lay his head. He was 
despised, and not accounted in the number of men; but was 
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. The Jews said 
he had a devil, and was mad, and went about to kill him. 
He was despised by the whole Jewish nation, and scarcely 
had any one to esteem him. Some of his relatives doubted 
his divine original, and his countrymen looked upon him as 
a blasphemer and impostor. He bore the infirmities and sor- 
rows of many, by alleviating their afflictions and diseases. 
Yet he was esteemed as one judicially stricken, and smitten 
of God, and afflicted. The chastisement by which our peace 
is effected, was laid upon him ; and by his bruises we are 
healed. He was a propitiation for our sins, and not for ours 
only, but for the sins of the whole world. W e have turned 
aside, every one to his own way; and Jehovah made to 
light upon him the iniquity of us all. He died, the just for 
the unjust, that he might bring us to God. Though he was 
rich, yet he became poor, that we through his poverty might 
be rich. As a sheep before her shearers, is dumb ; so he 
opened not his mouth. During his agony in the garden of 
Gethsemane, his language was, "not my will be done, but 



3. How is the fulfilment of this prophecy proved? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



55 



thine, O heavenly father." And before his accusers "he 
answered nothing." By a wicked and oppressive judgment 
he was taken off; being crucified under circumstances of ex- 
treme suffering and degradation. And this was done, 
not for his own crimes, but for the sins of his people. 
He was the lamb of God, who, by his propitiatory offering, 
took away the sins of the world. His grave was appointed 
with the wicked ; but with the rich was his tomb. Though 
condemned to die with malefactors, he was interred in the 
sepulchre of Joseph, a rich man, of Arimathea. And not- 
withstanding he had done no wrong, neither was their any 
guile found in his mouth, yet it pleased Jehovah to crush him 
with affliction. "Awake," said he, "O sword, against my 
shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow ; smite the 
shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered. " # And having 
made his soul a propitiatory sacrifice, he saw a seed that 
will prolong their days: a seed that have, in the lapse of 
eighteen hundred years, become as numerous as the dew 
drops of the morning, and will continue to increase till time 
shall be no more. Nor will even the end of time put a pe- 
riod to their being and prosperity; for "they that be wise 
shall shine as stars for ever and ever."f The gracious pur- 
pose of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand ; and of the travail 
of his soul he shall see the fruit, and be satisfied. His re- 
deemed, in the day of recompence, will come from the east 
and the west, and from the north and the south, and will 
form a multitude, which no man can number4 By the 
knowledge of him shall my righteous servant justify many; 
for he of God is made unto them wisdom, ?*ighteousness r 
sanctification, and redemption. Therefore will God distri- 
bute the many to him for his portion ; and the mighty people 
shall he share for his spoil. The kings of Tarshish and of 
the Isles shall bring presents ; the kings of Sheba and Seba 
shall offer gifts. All kings shall fall down before him; all 
* Zech. 13:7. f Dan. 12:3. t Luke 13:29. Rev. 7:9. 



00 



A SYSTEM OF 



nations shall serve him. Because he poured out his soul unto 
death, and was numbered with the transgressors, and bore 
the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors, 
he shall see the fruit of his labour, and be satisfied. And 
this is the reward of Christ, who gave himself a ransom for 
all, to be testified in due time. 

4. Such, in the history of Jesus Christ, was the fulfilment 
of Isaiah's prophecy. And who, that was unassisted by di- 
vine prescience, could have thus penetrated the obscurity of 
seven centuries 1 Who, without the inspiration of the holy 
spirit, could have delineated, with the graphic pen of history, 
the incidents of the life and death of an individual, who was 
yet unborn? The answer is, no one. 

5. Our second argument, derived from prophecy, is 
founded upon our lord's prediction concerning the destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem. In the 21st chapter of the Gospel ac- 
cording to St. Luke we have the following remarkable pas- 
sage : — 

" As some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with 
goodly stones and gifts, he said, take heed that ye be not 
deceived : for many shall come in my name, saying, I am 
Christ, and the time draweth near : go ye not therefore after 
them. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be 
not terrified : for these things must first come to pass ; but the 
end is not by and by. Then said he unto them, nation shall 
rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom : and great 
earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pes- 
tilences, and fearful sights, and great signs shall there be 
from heaven. But before all these, they shall lay their hands 
on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the syna- 
gogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and 
rulers for my name's sake. And it shall turn to you for a 

4. What is the conclusion from the fulfilment of this prophecy ? 

5. From what is the second argument on prophecy derived ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



5? 



testimony. Settle it, therefore, in your hearts, not to medi- 
tate before what ye shall answer : for I will give you a mouth 
and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to 
gainsay nor resist. And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, 
and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends, and some of you 
they shall cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated 
of all men for my name's sake. But there shall not a hair 
of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your 
souls. And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with 
armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then 
let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains ; and let 
them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not 
them that are in the countries enter therein. For these be 
the days of vengeance ; that all things which are written may 
be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to 
them that give suck, in those days ! for there shall be great 
distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they 
shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away 
captive into all nations : and Jerusalem shall be trodden down 
of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles shall be ful- 
filled."* 

6. In this portentous passage are predicted, first, the de- 
struction of Jerusalem; and second, the signs that should 
precede the catastrophe. 

7. It would seem, from the various descriptions of the 
metropolis of Judea, by contemporary writers, there was 
scarcely any thing in the world more remarkable than the 
magnificence and strength of this devoted city. The walls 
and towers with which it was defended, " for largeness, 
beauty, and strength, were beyond all that were in the habit- 
able earth. "f And its other buildings were of equal costli- 

6. What was observable in this prediction ? 

7. What was the condition of Jerusalem when the prediction was 
pronounced ? 

* Mat. ch. 24. Mark ch. 13. f De Bell. Jud. 1. 5. c. 4. 



58 



A SYSTEM OF 



ness and grandeur. " The stones employed in the founda- 
tions of the temple were above sixty feet in length ; and the 
superstructure was worthy of such foundations." " There 
were stones in it of the whitest marble, upwards of sixty- 
seven feet long, more than seven feet high, and nine broad." # 
And yet, in less than forty years after the prediction in ques- 
tion was pronounced, the city and the temple were utterly 
destroyed. After the Romans had taken Jerusalem, Titus 
ordered his soldiers to demolish its walls, and dig up its 
foundations. f The Jewish writers themselves acknowledge 
that Terentius Rufus, who was left to command the army, 
did with a ploughshare tear up the foundations of the temple ; 
and thereby fulfil the prophecy of Micah \% " Therefore 
shall Zion, for your sakes, be ploughed as a field. "§ And, 
in confirmation of this remarkable statement, Eusebius also 
assures us, " that the temple was ploughed up by the Romans ; 
and that he himself saw it lying in ruins." 

8. The signs which were to precede the destruction of the 
temple and city of Jerusalem, as enumerated by our blessed 
lord, were: Persecutions of the christians; the appearance 
of false christs ; the occurrence of w 7 ars and rumours of 
wars ; earthquakes ; famines ; pestilence ; fearful sights, and 
great signs from heaven. 

9. First, of the persecutions of the christians. — That the 
christians, previous to the destruction of Jerusalem, were 
universally hated and persecuted, we have, in the Acts of the 
Apostles, ample and decisive testimony. Some were deliv- 
ered to councils, as Peter and John;|| some were brought 
before rulers and kings, as Paul before Gallio, Festus, and 
Agrippa ;1T some were killed, as Stephen some were im- 

8. What signs were to precede the destruction of Jerusalem? 

9. How is the persecution of the christians proved? 

* De Bell. Jud. 1. 5. c. 5. t lb. 1. 7. c. 1. X Micah 3 : 12. 
§ Whitty in loc. || Acts of the Apostles 4:5. IT lb, 18 : 12. 
** lb. 7:58. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



59 



prisoned, as Peter and John;* some were beaten, as Paul 
and Silas ;f and all were hated and persecuted, as the record 
of the times abundantly testifies. Tacitus, the Roman his- 
torian, in describing the persecution under Nero, tells us 
" that christians were at first apprehended, and then, by their 
discovery, multitudes of others were convicted, and cruelly 
put to death, with derision and insult."^: 

1. Second, of the appearance of false christs. — A short 
time before the destruction of Jerusalem, an Egyptian, call- 
ing himself a prophet, collected thirty thousand individuals, 
whom he led through the wilderness, to the Mount of Olives, 
where, meditating an assault upon the city of Jerusalem, he 
was met by Felix, and his Roman soldiers, and repelled with 
great slaughter.§ After him, Dositheus, a Samaritan, pre- 
tending that he were the messiah foretold by Moses, deceived 
many. And Theudas, a magician, induced a vast multitude 
to assemble on the banks of the Jordan, telling them he 
would, by his own power, divide the river, and afford them 
an easy passage over it. But, instead of fulfilling his pro- 
mise, he was unexpectedly overtaken by a Roman squadron, 
who slew him, and dispersed his followers. || Impostors, of 
some description or other, appeared so often, about these 
times, that many of them were taken and killed every day.1T 
Nor were they only numerous, but exceedingly adroit and 
successful. "Some of them," says Jerome, "were so dex- 
terous in performing marvels, that they deceived many; and 
if the christians themselves had not had the fullest evidence 
of Christ's mission, they too must have been deceived." 

2. Third^of wars and rumours of wars. — Notwithstand- 
ing, at the birth of Christ, there was a general peace, the 

L How is the appearance of false christs proved? 

2. How is the existence of wars and rumours of wars proved? 



* Acts of the Apostles 4: 13. f lb. 16 : 23. X Tac. Ann. 1. 15. 
§ De Bell. Jud. 1. 2. c. 13. s. 5. |j Antiq. 1. 20. c. 5. 



60 



A SYSTEM OF 



Jews soon afterwards became involved in universal war. 
From the moment they rejected the prince of peace they 
were given up to hardness of heart and reprobacy of mind. 
Calamity succeeded calamity, till their city, their temple, 
and their government were utterly destroyed. Abandoned to 
their evil passions, they yielded, without reserve, to the spirit 
of degradation, sedition, and revolt. That portion of their 
history intervening between the crucifixion and the destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem was, for cruelty, bloodshed, and suffering, 
unparralleled in the history of the world.* The number slain 
by the edge of the sword was incalculable. In the city ot 
Cessera, at Scythopolis, Ascalon, Ptolemais, Alexandria, Da- 
mascus, and Joppa; in the mountains of Assamon; in an 
ambuscade near Sepporis; at Terrachia, at Gammala, in the 
village of Idumea, at Gerasa, Marcherus, Cyrene, and in 
almost every village and city throughout Syria, they had 
bloody and destructive battles : so that in a few years mil- 
lions of this wretched people were sacrificed in the field of 
war, and millions more were reduced to a state of slavery 
and desperation. Of those above seventeen years of age, 
many were sent to the works in Egypt; others were distri- 
buted among the Roman provinces, to be destroyed by the 
sword, and by wild beasts ; and those under seventeen were 
made slaves. f A short time previous to the destruction of 
Jerusalem, the whole world was in warlike commotion. The 
Jews and Gallileans rose up against the Samaritans, for the 
murder of some Gallileans, while on their way to the feast 
at Jerusalem. The Jews, as a nation, declared war against 
the Romans and their allies, under the administration of 
Gessius Florus ; and a civil war broke out in Italy, while 
Otho and Vitellius were contending for the empire. Nation 
was arrayed against nation, and kingdom against kingdom ; 
and the Jews fell by the edge of the sword, and were led 

* Jos. Ant. 1. 20. c. 4 & 7. f De Bell. Jud. 1. 6. c. 9. s. 2.— J. 2. 

c. 13.— c. 14. s. 4.— c. 15. s. 5.— c. 17. s. 1. 



MORAL PHILOSOrHY. 



61 



captives into all countries.* The whole number of them de. 
stroyed in these wars amount to more than one million five 
hundred thousand. 

3. Fourth, of earthquakes* — Whether by this word is 
meant political commotions, as it often means, or the actual 
convulsions of the earth, is a matter of but little consequence ; 
for the event has justified the prediction, in whichever light it 
is considered. If it signifies the agitation of political bodies, 
we have already seen it was accomplished ; and if it were 
intended to be understood literally, we know, from undoubted 
testimony, that earthquakes were unusually frequent and de- 
structive, within the period referred to by the prediction. One 
of them took place in Crete, in the reign of Claudius ; an- 
other in Smyrna, Miletus, and Samos. One occurred in 
Rome, in the reign of Nero; and another in Hieropolis, Col- 
losse, and Laodicea, by which the three last mentioned cities 
were destroyed. One took place in Campania, another hap- 
pened in Rome, in the reign of Galba, and one occurred in 
Judea, during the celebrated battle between Octavius Csesar 
and Anthony. j* 

4. Fifths of famines. — Josephus tells us that during the 
investment of Jerusalem by the Roman army, the sufferings 
of the Jews, for the want of food, were more dreadful than 
the world had ever witnessed before, or has since. They 
were such as to extinguish the last spark of human kindness, 
overpower the feelings of parental tenderness, and compel 
mothers to kill their sucking children and roast them for food4 

5. Sixth, of pestilence. — As this would naturally follow 
a long and distressing famine, there is no need of citing ait* 
thorities in proof of its occurrence. Millions of human be* 

3. How is the occurrence of earthquakes proved ? 

4. How is the occurrence of famines proved ? 

5. How is the existence of pestilence proved ? 

* De Bell. Jud. I. 6. c. 9. t Tacit. Ann. b. 12 & 14. Seneca- 
Suetonius, t De Bell. Jud. I. 5. c. 10. 

6 



62 



A SYSTEM OF 



ings, pent up in a single city, agitated by every unholy feel- 
ing of which human nature is susceptible, reduced to the ne- 
cessity of feeding on noxious and putrescent substances, una- 
ble to attend to the interment of their dead, and totally re- 
gardless of the means of health, must, in addition to other 
calamities, experience the scourge of pestilence. 

6. Seventh, of fearful signs and great sights* — A short 
time before the destruction of the holy city, a flaming star, 
like a sword, hung over it; a comet continued visible a whole 
year; and during the meeting of the people, at the feast 
of unleavened bread, at the ninth hour of the night, a great 
light shone about the altar, and the temple, and continued 
half an hour; at the same feast, a cow, led to the sacrifice, 
brought forth a lamb in the midst of the temple ; the eastern 
gate, which was solid brass, and extremely heavy, and could 
hardly be shut by twenty men, and was fastened by strong 
bolts and bars, was seen, at the sixth hour of the night, to 
open of its own accord .; and before the setting of the sun, 
there were, visible all over the country, chariots and armies 
fighting in the clouds, and besieging cities ; at the feast of 
Pentecost, when the priests were going into the inner temple 
by night, for the performance of their service, they heard the 
voices of invisible multitudes, saying, "let us depart hence;" 
and many other sights and fearful signs, equally prodigious, 
occurred about those times.* 

7. Such being the exact accomplishment of the prediction 
of our blessed lord, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, 
and the signs which preceded that event, the conclusion is, he 
must have been what he claimed to be: — the founder of the 
christian religion by divine authority. When he stood on 
the Mount of Olives, and pronounced the prophecy in question, 

6. How is the occurrence of fearful signs and great sights proved? 

7. What is the conclusion of this argument? 

* De Bell. Jud. L 6. c. 5. s. 3. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



63 



there was not the least human prospect of its accomplishment. 
Who, at that period, could have believed that the Jews, in the 
enjoyment of universal peace, under the protection of the 
Roman empire, defended by walls and towns, which seemed 
to frown defiance upon the world without, and possessed of 
resources, accumulated in the lapse of ages, would, in the 
space of forty years, be torn into factions, engaged in war 
with every nation under heaven, driven into the fast holds of 
their city, oppressed with famine, pestilence, and mutiny, and 
finally overwhelmed with temporal and eternal ruin? Who, 
by any natural sagacity, could have anticipated such a result? 
Yet Christ not only anticipated, but predicted it, with all its 
circumstances. Surely, an individual who thus penetrated 
the future, and foretold events, such as the world had never 
thought of before, and after the lapse of forty years, stood 
justified by the exact and entire accomplishment of his pre- 
dictions, must have been the subject F 6f inspiration. 



ARGUMENT VIII. 

8. The performance of miracles, by Jesus Christ and his 
disciples, is another proof of the divine inspiration of the 
scriptures. 

9. Miracles, in the acceptation of the New Testament, 
generally signify occurrences in contravention of the laws 
of nature, effected by supernatural agency, in attestation of 
religious truth. That many of the transactions of Jesus 
Christ and his disciples claimed to be of this description, is 
well known to every one. The former, it is said, by a single 
word raised from the grave one who had been dead four days ; 
imparted sight to an individual who was born blind, simply 
by the application of clay and spittle; said to the sick, take 

8. What is the eighth argument? 

9. What are miracles? 



64 



A SYSTEM OF 



up thy bed and walk, and he immediately obeyed ; com- 
manded the tempest to be still, and there was a great calm ; 
multiplied five barley loaves, and a few small fishes, to a 
quantity sufficient to satisfy hungry multitudes ; shook, at 
his crucifixion, the foundations of the earth to their centre ; 
and after being put to death, arose from the dead, and ap- 
peared to his disciples alive for forty days. 

1. That the occurrence of events in contravention of the 
laws of nature is possible, requires but little effort to perceive. 
The laws of nature, are those tendencies of matter to cohe- 
sion, repulsion, and other phenomena, which it continually 
exhibits. Now, as matter, in itself, is inert, insensible, and 
unintelligent ; and as the laws by which it is governed are 
exact, uniform, and indicative of design, they must have been 
imparted to it by an extraneous and superior agent. Until it 
is shewn that matter can act intelligibly without intelligence, 
forcibly without power, and orderly without intention, the 
inference must be, it has received the laws by which it is gov- 
erned from a power superior to itself; and if so, that that 
power is competent to reverse or modify them at pleasure. 

2. The occurrence of miracles, however, is not only pos- 
sible, but sometimes necessary. This evidently was the fact 
in the days of Jesus Christ. The condition of the world at 
that period demanded a speedy and thorough reformation. 
But how could such a reformation be effected without a reve- 
lation from God? And how could such a revelation be ac- 
credited without miracles ? 

3. At the time in question the slumbers of a deep sleep 
had fallen upon the world. Ignorance, superstition, and idol- 
atry, had overwhelmed both natural and revealed religion ; 
leaving only a few traces of its existence among the Jews. 

1. Is the occurrence of miracles possible? 

2. Is the occurrence of miracles necessary ! 

3. Why was the occurrence of miracles necessary ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



65 



The most enormous profligacy was almost universally prac- 
tised, not only with impunity, but with approbation and re- 
ward. Crime, in its blackest forms, entered into the essen- 
tial constituents of the Gentile's worship ; and the grossest 
ignorance, superstition, and hypocrisy, were characteristic of 
much of the Jew's religion. 

4. Under circumstances of this description, how was a re- 
formation to be effected 1 By the agency of reason only ? 
That was impossible. The people were too much debased 
by ignorance and sensuality to yield, or even to listen to the 
voice of reason. Plato, Seneca, and Socrates, might as well 
have given their lessons to the wind as to the great mass of 
their fellow men. To talk to them of the reasonableness of 
human obligations, was to discourse in language they did not 
understand. Efforts to lecture the untutored savage into a 
belief of the sublime mysteries of Christianity would be as 
likely to succeed, independent of preliminary instruction, as 
attempts to reform the world, at the time in question, by in- 
ductions from moral principles. Of these principles they 
were ignorant and reckless ; and arguments drawn from 
them, of course, would be inoperative. Plato, an eye wit- 
ness, hath told us, "that whatever is set right, as it should be, 
can be so done only by the particular interposition of the 
gods." 

5. It being impossible, in this condition of the world, to 
effect a reformation, but by immediate revelation from God, 
such a revelation was to be expected. This, however, could 
be accomplished only by communicating supernatural light 
to every individual, or to a few individuals only, invested 
with power to perform miracles, in attestation of its divinity. 
The latter method was every way preferable. Had a com- 
munication of light been made to every individual, in suffi- 

4. What inference is drawn from this condition of the world ? 

5. How does the necessity of miracles further appear ? 

6* 



66 



A SYSTEM OF 



cient quantities to accomplish its intended object, it would 
have so controled the volition of its subjects as to constitute 
them necessary agents. The beautiful and effective plan of 
making a revelation of his will, through the medium of his 
chosen servants, accompanied with power to work miracles, 
in attestation of its truth, was, in every respect, preferable. 
This system, instead of superseding the exercise of the men- 
tal and moral faculties, called them into operation. The 
prominent and rational requirement of the divine govern- 
ment, "prove all things, and hold fast that which is good," 
was, by this plan, solemnly recognized and confirmed. 

6. Nor is the supposition that God, under the circum- 
stances of the case, would have resorted to miracles, in at- 
testation of the truth of his revelation, gratuitous. Every 
attribute of his character authorizes the belief, that he would 
not have withheld from human beings any knowledge of his 
will, essential to the perfection of their obedience ; and as 
such a knowledge could not have been communicated without 
miracles, the fact of his having resorted to them is as rea- 
sonable as it was expedient. Having created the earth on 
which we live for our sustenance and use, adorned the hea- 
vens for our comfort and contemplation, and adapted the 
laws of nature to our wants, the supposition is not unreason- 
able that he would countermand those laws, when such a 
dispensation became necessary or expedient. That he actu- 
ally has adopted this course, we have ample and conclusive 
proof. 

7. The necessity of miracles, to accredit the revelation of 
his will, is presumptive evidence they have been performed. 
An infinitely wise, powerful, and good being would not have 
withheld from human creatures any thing necessary to the 

6. What other consideration shows the necessity of miracles ? 

7. What is the first argument to prove that miracles have been per- 
formed. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



67 



perfection of their obedience ; and it being impossible to obey- 
without a knowledge of his will ; and the attainment of this 
knowledge being impracticable without a revelation ; and a 
proof of this revelation not being possible without miracles, 
the necessity of performing them was absolute. 

Of the occurrence of miracles, in attestation of the inspi- 
ration of the scriptures, we have not only presumptive proof, 
but a mass of moral evidence, amounting in the aggregate to 
demonstration. 

8. As, however, it is not convenient, on the present occa- 
sion, to enter into a proof of the performance of every mir- 
acle, mentioned in the holy scriptures, we will confine our 
remarks to one. This shall be the resurrection of Jesus 
Christ. The christian religion being based chiefly upon this 
event, if we prove that it actually occurred, we prove all that 
is necessary for the establishment of our present position. 

9. The resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the crown 
and glory of Christianity, is stated with a perspicuity, and 
sustained by a kind of evidence, worthy of its importance. 
It is not deduced by a long and laborious investigation from 
subtile and uncertain premises, but is a proposition simple in 
its nature, and incontrovertible in its evidence. Instead of 
being fabricated by imaginative authors, or conjured into ex- 
istence by theorizing philosophers, it is stated simply as a 
matter of fact. " We," saith the apostle Paul, "have testi- 
fied that he raised up Christ."* The subject, viewed in this 
light, is a narrow and simple one. The witnesses of the re- 
surrection declare, that Jesus Christ not only died, and was 
buried, but that he also rose from the dead ; and we are left 
to determine whether this testimony is true or not. 

8. What miracle is particularly selected as the subject of proof? 

9. How is the resurrection of Christ proved ? 



*Cor. 15:15. 



68 



A SYSTEM OF 



1. The witnesses of the resurrection in reality were nu- 
merous, but on the present occasion we will refer chiefly to 
the apostles. And to decide whether their testimony is cre- 
dible or not, we will direct our attention to the several cir- 
cumstances under which it was given. 

2. The apostles, evidently, had it in their power to know, 
with absolute certainty, whether their declaration was true 
or false. For several years they had been personally ac- 
quainted with Jesus Christ ; had been on terms of intimacy 
with him in all the varieties of his life ; had witnessed his 
agony in the garden of Gethsemane ; accompanied him to 
the bars of Caiphas and Pilate ; beheld him expire upon the 
cross ; and conversed with him, according to their averment, 
for forty days after his resurrection. They had, perhaps, 
as perfect a knowledge of his character, as any disciples ever 
had of their master. With these advantages it was impos- 
sible for them not to know whether he had risen from the 
dead or not. 

3. Had they deduced their testimony by a process of rea- 
soning, there would be some ground to suppose they were 
mistaken; but speaking, as they did, of a plain matter of 
fact, of which their senses had perfect cognizance, there was 
not left even a possibility of misapprehension. They as- 
serted positively that Christ had risen from the dead, and 
that they were witnesses of the event, under circumstances 
that precluded the possibility of mistake. "That," said they, 
"which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, 
which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, 
declare we unto you." # 

1. Who were the witnesses of the resurrection ? 

2. Were the apostles competent to testify to the resurrection of 
Christ? 

3. What was the nature of the apostles' testimony ? 



* 1 John 1:L 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



69 



4. In view of the intimate acquaintance of the apostles 
with Jesus Christ, and of the nature of the event, of which 
they testified, we repeat, it was impossible for them not to 
know whether he had risen from the dead or not. 

5. If Christ had not risen from the dead, they surely had 
no motive to spread the story of his resurrection. Men are 
universally governed, in some way or other, by their in- 
terest, or what they suppose to be their interest. This is 
a fundamental law of human nature, and can be reversed 
neither by time nor circumstances. But the apostles could 
have had no interest in promulgating the pretensions of their 
master after being convinced they were not true. Instead 
of deriving any advantage from adhering to his cause, af- 
ter his crucifixion, such an adherence, they were certain, 
would draw upon them persecution and death. His disci- 
ples they knew, were every where spoken against, not only 
by the common people, but by every order and portion of 
the community. It was their interest, under these circum- 
stances, in every point of view, if they had been deceived, to 
openly and promptly renounce the deceiver. He had told 
them that he was the son of God ,• that in some future day 
he would ascend to his father's throne, and sit in judgment 
upon the human race ; that he would consign the wicked to 
everlasting punishment, and receive the righteous into life 
eternal. He had reproved the Jews in the most pointed and 
galling manner; had condemned the whole Gentile world, 
and commanded his disciples to come out from among 
them ; and in consequence of having been governed by 
these sayings they had awakened the displeasure of the 
whole world. Under such circumstances, to find they had 
been deceived was sufficient to excite in them the greatest 
indignation. Instead of continuing to be the abettors of his 

4. What is inferred from the intimacy of the apostles with Christ ? 

5. If Christ had not risen from the dead, had the apostles any motive 
to say he had ? 



70 



A SYSTEM OF 



cause, they would naturally renounce and oppose it. The 
deception already practised on them, and a wish to avoid its 
farther consequences, would naturally prompt them to a 
disclosure of its importance. On the one hand, the promul- 
gation of the story of the resurrection was sure to draw upon 
them persecution and death, and on the other, an exposure 
of its fallacy was likely to conciliate pity and forgiveness. 
To persist, therefore, in the publication of the resurrection, 
if it were not true, was not only to act without motive, but 
in opposition to every motive that ever did or can operate 
upon the human mind. 

6. That the witnesses of the resurrection sincerely and 
conscientiously believed that Christ had risen from the dead, 
is evident from the sufferings they deliberately and volun- 
tarily encountered in proclaiming the event. Nineteen twen- 
tieths of the population of Palestine were violently opposed 
to the christian system ; and having crucified the founder of 
this religion, they resolved to exterminate his followers. To 
persist, therefore, in the declaration that Christ had risen 
from the dead, was to provoke persecution and death. Ac- 
cordingly the first witnesses of the resurrection were soon 
exterminated. The prediction of their master, "they will 
deliver you up to councils, and they will scourge you in 
their synagogues, and ye shall be brought before governors 
and kings for my sake,"* was speedily accomplished. In 
consequence of persisting in the declaration that Christ had 
risen from the dead, they encountered every form of perse- 
cution which human ingenuity could devise. Under these 
circumstances, the apostles must have had the strongest evi- 
dence of the fact, or they would not have continued to de- 
clare it. Nothing less than seeing with their eyes, and 
handling with their hands, could have induced them to per- 

6. Did the apostles believe that Christ had risen from the dead ? 
* Mark 13:9. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



71 



severe in the declaration ; and this evidence they asserted, 
even in the agonies of death, they possessed. Stephen, the 
protomartyr, just before he was stoned, being filled with the 
holy ghost, looked steadfastly into heaven, and saw, as he 
said, " the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right 
hand of God."* 

7. The agreement of the testimony of these witnesses, 
under the circumstances of the case, contribute materially to 
its credibility. Though it is said that Christ was seen after 
he had risen from the dead, " by Cephas, then by the twelve, 
and after that by above five hundred brethren at once," there 
appears to be no contradiction in their testimony. That the 
twelve apostles, and above five hundred brethren, possessing 
almost every variety of intellect, and acting under a thousand 
conflicting circumstances, should concur in the fabrication of 
a supernatural story, and relate it to friends and enemies 
without the smallest essential variation, is a thing that never 
was, and never can be accomplished. There is naturally 
such a dissimilarity in the operation of human intellect, even 
on the most simple and ordinary topics, that the moment we 
enter the regions of conjecture, we fall into contradiction. 
Had the witnesses of the resurrection contradicted each other's 
statements, there would be reason for disbelieving their testi- 
mony; but as they were consistent and uniform, they must 
have testified to the truth. Nothing but a conformity to fact 
could have secured a conformity to one another. This de- 
duction is derived not only from the plainest maxims of hu- 
man knowledge, but also from every day's experience. 

8. Nor did the witnesses of the resurrection wait a single 
day after it was said that Christ was risen from the dead be- 
fore they published the event. Instead of retiring in general 

7. Did the testimony of the apostles agree? 

8. At what time did the apostles testify to the resurrection ? 

* Acts 7:56. 



72 



A SYSTE3I OF 



conclave, for the purpose of inventing a consistent story, 
they ran, without concert, without a single indication of col- 
lusion, and proclaimed that Christ had risen from the dead. 
In extending this report they exhibited no signs of artifice, or 
even ordinary precaution ; but, as far as the human mind 
can perceive, were actuated only by the impulse of an im- 
portant truth. Independent of the apostles, and without the 
aid of those who were the best qualified to conduct an impos- 
ture, Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, announced the 
resurrection. * At this news all the disciples were surprised, 
and some of them refused to believe. When it was said to 
Thomas, "we have seen the lord," he replied, "except I 
shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and thrust my 
hand into his side, I will not believe. "f This surprise and 
skepticism on the part of Thomas, and promptitude and want 
of concert among the other disciples, incontrovertibly prove 
that, in this instance at least, they were not guilty" of collu- 
sion. Had they waited many years, or even only a few 
months, before they published the story of the resurrection, 
we should have some reason to doubt their honesty; but 
while Calvary was yet reeking with the blood of Christ ; 
while Jerusalem and Judea were yet in tumult respecting his 
pretensions ; and while the guards, appointed to prevent his 
disciples from taking away his body from the sepulchre, were 
at their post, his resurrection was announced, and announced 
in the very place it was said to have happened. In Pales- 
tine Christ had resided three and thirty years ; in Judea he 
had performed all his miracles ; in the garden of Gethsemane 
he had been arrested ; in the city of Jerusalem he had been 
condemned; on Calvary he had been crucified, and in the 
same places his resurrection was proclaimed. Confident of 
the correctness of their story, the disciples seem to have had 
no diffidence ; no apprehensions of falling into error ; no an- 

* Mat. 28: 8. t John 20: 25. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



73 



ticipations of contradiction; but willing, and even anxious, 
on all occasions, to submit to the severest scrutiny. Imme- 
diately after the event happened ; precisely on the spot where 
it occurred ; while his enemies were yet exasperated, the 
apostles and disciples declared, to the very people who had 
crucified him, the story of his resurrection. 

9. Nor was it alledged, even by their adversaries, that 
they were ever convicted of inconsistency or falsehood. Al- 
though they were examined before the sanhedrim, the high 
priest, and the Roman judicatories, by civilians and orators 
of the first order of intellect, they were never surprised into 
contradiction, or detected in falsehood. Artisans, fishermen, 
and rusticks as they were, they always eluded the toils of 
their most subtile enemies. Simple, frank, unaffected, and 
apparently honest in their narrative, they seem, on all occa- 
sions, to have convinced or confounded their adversaries. 
And this can be accounted for only on the supposition that 
they were honest. Were a court of justice, at the present 
time, to exercise but a small portion of their ingenuity in 
detecting villany in a combination of ignorant and illiterate 
knaves, success would soon crown their efforts. How then 
could the witnesses of the resurrection, deficient as they were 
in learning, ingenuity, and experience, defy the strictest 
scrutiny, and evade the most artful machinations, had they 
not conformed to truth? To every one. who is in the habit 
of investigating evidence, and detecting villany, it evidently 
is not possible. 

1. Such was the character of the witnesses of the resur- 
rection, the air of truth with which they delivered their tes. 
timony, and the entire agreement of its several parts, that 
it continually gained ground, and acquired credit. The 
church, which, at the death of Christ, consisted only of a 

9. Were the apostles ever convicted of inconsistency and falsehood ? 
1. What was the immediate effect of the apostles' testimony? 

7 



74 



A SYSTEM OF 



iew hundred individuals, was enlarged, by the accession of 
several thousands, in a few days after the publication of the 
resurrection. Paul, a learned disciple of Gamaliel, Diony- 
sius, an areopagite, Appollo, an orator, and many thousands 
of Greeks, Romans, and Jews, became the active and fear- 
less defenders of the christian faith. Such was the conclu- 
sive nature of the evidence of the resurrection, that it con- 
tinued to make converts, in despite of the most violent and 
untiring opposition. Nothing could have secured to this 
story its power and popularity but the intrinsic force of its 
proof. In itself it was the most singular and incredible re- 
port that ever reached the ear of mortals ; and, at the same 
time, was opposed by nearly all the learning, the power, and 
the talent of the world ; yet it continually gained ground and 
made converts. The more thoroughly the doctrine of the 
resurrection was examined, the more conclusively its evi- 
dence appeared. In spite of prejudice and skepticism it has 
forced its way down to the present time with unimpaired cre- 
dibility. Frequently has it undergone the criticism of the 
brightest intellects that ever shone upon our world, and the 
result has never been unfavourable. The bright and pene- 
trating minds of Paschal, Newton, Locke, and others, have 
gone, in their investigations, to its very bottom ; and have 
been compelled, by the force of evidence, to admit its truth. 
While dynasties and kingdoms have flourished and mould- 
ered into ruin; systems of natural and political philosophy 
been adopted, exploded, and revived; and every produc- 
tion of human genius destroyed or modified, the fact of the 
resurrection has descended to the present period, not only 
with unimpaired, but accumulated credibility. Time, the 
mighty spoiler of human inventions, has had no other effect 
upon the story than to increase the development of its au- 
thenticity. And while the principles of human nature con- 
tinue as they now are, the testimony on which it rests can 
never be invalidated. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



75 



2. As the witnesses of the resurrection knew with absolute 
certainty whether their story was true or false — as, in this 
particular, they not only had no motive to promulgate a false- 
hood, but many motives to suppress the truth — as they in- 
controvertibly proved the sincerity of their profession by sub- 
mitting to persecution and martyrdom rather than retract it 
— as they were perfectly consistent in the several circum- 
stances of their story, although delivered by different indivi- 
duals, at different times, and before enemies and friends — as 
they proclaimed it at the time, and in the place, the event was 
said to have occurred — as the story was presented in such a 
manner as carried with it a conviction of its truth to all clas- 
ses of the community — and as this story, under the severest 
criticism, and in the lapse of eighteen hundred years, has 
continually increased in credibility — the conclusion is, it 
must be true. 

3. And if the story of the resurrection be true, it estab- 
lishes, beyond the reach of contradiction, the divine inspira- 
tion of the scriptures. The supposition that God would give 
power to Jesus Christ to work miracles, and after his cruci- 
fixion raise him from the dead, if the doctrines he promulga- 
ted were not true, is infinitely preposterous. So sure as Christ 
has risen from the dead, he spoke and acted by divine au- 
thority ; and consequently the claims of Christianity to in- 
spiration, sustained as they are by the declarations of the 
son of God, rest upon the firmest basis, 

4. This brief view of the evidences of Christianity may 
not improperly be closed, by adverting to the mischievous 
consequences of discarding it. 

5. A renunciation of our holy religion comprehends a re- 

2. What is the summing up of the argument? 

3. What is the conclusion of the argument? 

4. What are the evidences closed with? 

5. What does a renunciation of Christianity comprehend? 



76 



A SYSTEM OF 



jection of the doctrine of God's moral government; or, in 
other words, of his superintendence of the affairs of the pre- 
sent life, and of his righteous retribution in that which is to 
come. 

The abandonment of this doctrine naturally diminishes the 
action of human kindness. In the belief that necessity, or 
chance, governs the universe, there is no reason for a concern 
for human happiness. The only feeling consistent with 
this belief is a cheerless and stoical acquiescence in the 
occurrence of events. Skepticism, accordingly, has always 
been reckless of the public good. After wielding the bright- 
est talents, controling the most splendid learning, and direct- 
ing the most ample means, what, we would ask, has infidel- 
ity accomplished ? Has it dried up the tears of a single suf- 
ferer? knocked off the chains of a solitary captive? re- 
claimed from vice an individual wanderer? or dissipated the 
sorrows of one human being? Alas! the reverse of this is 
true. Instead of strewing with flowers the path of life — of 
brightening the chambers of sadness with celestial joy — and 
of extending and sweetening the sources of human comfort — 
it has planted the paths of mortals with the sharpest thorns — 
invested the hours of their weakness with the deepest gloom — 
and poisoned, at the fountain head, their only solace. The 
public triumph of skepticism has ever been the knell of de- 
parted joys — the exhibition of its influence the prelude to 
misery and devastation — and its victory over unstable souls, 
the commencement of confusion and eternal night. The 
prominent and legitimate principles of infidelity are at war 
with the best interests of the social state. Polygamy, sui- 
cide, and the worst species of immorality, are necessary co- 
rollaries from its premises. Among the rejectors of Christi- 
anity, individuals may, indeed, be found, who, rising above 
their sentiments, have cheerfully co-operated in promoting 
the general good; but instances of this description are not 
only uncommon, but anomalous. The disbelief of a respon- 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



7? 



sibie hereafter, instead of prompting to deeds of kindness, 
naturally renders inoperative the most lovely principles of 
human nature. Who, among the myriads of unbelievers 
that have acted their part upon this busy stage, has exhibited 
the god-like commiseration of Howard? the active and soul- 
stirring humanity of Wilberforce? the self-denying benevo- 
lence of Swartz? and the humble, but vastly beneficial ef- 
forts of Raikes? Such useful and illustrious virtues never 
were, and never can be cherished under the arid and blight- 
ing influence of skepticism. 

6. Nor does infidelity simply render inoperative motives 
to benevolence ; but deranges in their operation the elements 
of our moral nature. That such are its necessary results is 
evident from the slightest examination. To annihilate the 
boundaries of vice and virtue, and denounce their difference 
as only factitious and arbitrary, is to derange the moral fa- 
culties of man, and furnish him with the strongest motives 
to licentiousness and crime. Infidelity, accordingly, has not 
only scorned the sacred mysteries of the cross, and treated 
with contempt the system of redemption by the death of 
Christ, but has set at nought the principles of truth and jus- 
tice, and regarded as merely conventional, both moral and 
civil obligations. Wherever it has sounded its raven voice, 
confusion, and every evil work, have responded to its notes. 
Before its movements were order and prosperity, and in its 
train misery and desolation. In the wide and dreary wastes 
of infidelity there are no verdant spots ; no redeeming circum- 
stances ; no lovely and cheering incidents ; but all is dark, 
and cold, and blighting. Since the world began, there never 
was an individual, in any sense, improved by infidelity; but 
by it, millions have been injured, and forever ruined. Could 
we exhibit the tears of parental tenderness ; the agonies of 
conjugal affection; the blightings of early and delightful 
promise ; and the numerous forms of mental and moral de- 

6. What other effect results from renouncing Christianity ? 

7* 



78 



A SYSTEM OF 



gradation, resulting from a rejection of the holy scriptures, 
the correctness of this statement would be readily believed. 

7. Nor is infidelity less destructive of human comfort than 
it is of social order. In rejecting the system of redemption 
by the son of God, it retains no ground on which we can 
repose hope for pardon and salvation ; but leaves us in all 
the uncertainties of guilty apprehension, and a sense of de- 
served punishment. Where is the ground of hope, for an 
awakened penitent, after dashing from him the atonement of 
the cross? Where can he look for mercy, and rest a hope 
for heaven, after this catastrophe? Alas! no where. In 
extinguishing the bright and cheering prospects, opened by 
the redemption of the son of God, he flings from his reach 
the only cup of consolation provided for his guilty soul. The 
sad reality of this statement many an infidel has bitterly ex- 
perienced. They have often, in treading upon the verge of 
another world, indicated the most fearful terror and despair. 
The friends of one, flying from his bed side, declared that 
his agonies were too terrible to be witnessed — that the furies 
of Orestes could give but a faint idea of those of Voltaire. 

8. Nor is infidelity adapted to sustain us even in the ordi- 
nary calamities of life. W T hen misfortunes and old age press 
upon us, it affords no assistance in bearing them. Instead 
of presenting to our trembling spirits a solid rock, on which 
we may repose confidence, it flings us into a sea of trouble, 
and leaves us unaided to battle with its violence. A more dis- 
tressing scene can scarcely be imagined than that which is 
presented by a human being, sinking under the weight of 
years, overwhelmed with accumulated misfortunes, and des- 
titute of hope beyond the grave. He looks with melancholy 
upon the brightest actions of the present life, because he im- 
agines they will soon pass into oblivion ; he anticipates the 
period of his dissolution with dismay, for all his prospects 

7. Is infidelity destructive of human comfort ? 

8. Can infidelity sustain us under affliction ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



79 



are bounded by the tomb ; and he recurs to his present situ- 
ation with despair, because he believes it admits of no amend- 
ment. He may, indeed, attempt to console himself with the 
hope of annihilation, but in the view of death, abstracted 
from the cross of Christ, there is nothing consolatory. A 
belief throwing around the throne of grace a barrier in a 
dying hour — extinguishing from the soul every hope reaching 
beyond the grave — and presenting a sea of darkness, unillu- 
mined by a single ray — is as destructive of human comfort 
as it is contrary to the christian faith. 

9. And while infidelity is powerless in consoling us in the 
view of our own mortality, it affords us no alleviation in the 
death of others. Into that cup of bitterness, which we are 
destined to drink in the loss of beloved friends, it infuses no 
sweetness. That their existence has terminated — that they 
have forever perished — and that henceforth they will remain 
unconscious of all that is doing in the universe — is a belief 
that certainly can afford no relief. Were the genius of infi- 
delity to approach an afflicted mother, weeping at the tomb 
of her departed child, would he appear in the habiliments of 
peace and loveliness ? Would he, in tones of kindness, dry 
up her tears, and soothe the burning anguish of her heart ? 
Would he unfold scenes of blessedness beyond the skies, in 
which the object of her affection is participating, and assure 
her that, under circumstances of inconceivable felicity, a re- 
union will be effected ? Or would he not appear as the spectre 
of a coming storm, and, in tones portentous as the distant 
thunder, extinguish the last hope throbbing in her bosom ? 

1. That such have been, and now are, the effects of re- 
jecting the holy scriptures, is a matter of the most authentic 
history. And we would ask if such can be the effects of 
truth ? Is it possible that the god of nature would construct 

9. Can infidelity alleviate bereavement ? 

1. What is the conclusion from these effects of infidelity? 



80 



A SYSTEM OF 



a religion for human beings productive of such results? 
What ! a religion at war with every individual and social in- 
terest ? A religion cheerless as the grave, and comfortless as 
the king of terrors ! It is impossible ! Such a religion is 
a libel upon the god of nature, and the god of grace. He is 
a being of unbounded love, and designs, in all his opera- 
tions, to promote the happiness of his creatures. But this 
religion (if a religion it may be called) is the bane of charity, 
the spoiler of social order, and the murderer of human com- 
fort. It exhibits, in the features of its own deformity, 
" proofs, strong as holy writ," of its guilty origin. 

2. Should we feel the slightest inclination to embrace the 
principles of infidelity, we should stop a moment, and reflect 
upon their tendency. Will they make us better citizens, 
better husbands, better fathers, better children ? Will they 
smooth the declivities of human life, and prepare us to en- 
counter, with greater resignation, our last change? And if 
they will not, let us consider whether it will be wise to ex- 
change the religion of the holy scriptures : a religion which 
sheds upon life its loveliest charms — upon death its brightest 
radiance — and upon the future its sweetest prospects — breath- 
ing, from its inmost soul, " glory to God on high, peace on 
earth, and good will towards men" — for the cold, the blight- 
ing, and the destructive principles of infidelity ? Let cool and 
unsophisticated reason answer, and let us act accordingly. 

3. The light of nature and the light of revelation, being 
both intended to guide us in the search of duty, it will not be 
improper, in the present place, to consider, for a few mo- 
ments, their relative importance. 

4. That the light of nature discovers, in some degree, the 

2. How should we oppose an inclination to embrace infidelity ? 
3- What is the next subject of discussion ? 

4. What is the first instance of the defectiveness of the light of nature! 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



SI 



being and perfections of the deity, we have no doubt ; but even 
in this respect it is imperfect and unsatisfactory. While we 
perceive in the operations of nature a mixture of severity and 
kindness : as much of human misery, perhaps, as happiness ; 
and often a promiscuous destruction of the evil and the good, 
we have no perception, by the light of nature, of the divine 
mercy. Although we daily feel that our passions usurp do- 
minion over our reason ; that the good we would, we do not ; 
and the evil we would not, that we do ; the light of nature 
affords no assurance of forgiveness; no ground on which we 
can hope for pardon. That we are offenders in the eye of 
justice, and deserve punishment, are facts too evident to be 
denied ; but how to atone for our delinquency, or to avert 
the punishment we have deserved, we are unable, by the aid 
of reason merely, to conjecture. Boast as we may of na- 
ture's teaching, it affords no assurance of pardon to guilty 
sinners. Instead of presenting a charter of salvation written 
upon the skies, impressed upon the rocks, or any where tra- 
ced upon the works of creation, it leaves the ground of our 
hopes invested with the deepest gloom. Where can we ob- 
tain assurance, by the light of nature, that God will be mer- 
ciful to us? In his works? they indicate wrath as well as 
kindness. In the history of man? that abounds with pun- 
ishments as well as favours. Where then can we turn our 
anxious eye, and behold, by the light of reason, secured to 
us, the mercy of our heavenly father? Alas! no where. 
For our solicitude there is no assurance ; for our wounded 
spirit there is no balm ; and for our guilty fears there is no 
quietude. 

5. But while obscurity mingles with the light of nature, 
a bright and steady light shines from the word of God. Ex- 
hibiting the wonderful dimensions of divine love in the cross 
of Christ, it assures us " that though our sins be as scarlet, 

5. Do the scriptures supply this defect ? 



92 



A SYSTEM OF 



they shall be as white as snow : and though they be red like 
crimson, they shall be as wool that God is not only will- 
ing, but anxious to bestow upon his repenting creatures the 
riches of forgiving love; that his language is, "How shall I 
give thee up, Ephraim ? How shall I deliver thee, Israel ? How 
shall I set thee as Zeboim? My heart is turned within me. 
my repentings are kindled together."! Every where, in the 
holy scriptures, God is represented as being u long suffering 
to us ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all 
should come to repentance and live.":): 

6. Here, then, we have a broad and solid basis,, on which 
we may repose hope. Here, may we dismiss our guilty 
fears, solace our pensive hearts, and exclaim with the purest 
joy, " the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song, he also 
has become my salvation." 

7. Nor is the light of nature less inferior to that of revela- 
tion in disclosing the system of divine providence. Reason, 
indeed, recognizes the operation of general laws, both in the 
physical and moral worlds ; but its perception of their indi- 
vidual application is inadequate. Events, in its view, are 
produced by a regular succession of natural causes ; and 
though these causes are supposed to be productive of good 
in their ultimate results, they are excluded from special refer- 
ence to single objects. The course of things is believed to 
be inevitable, and is less attributed to the immediate power 
of God, than to intervening causes, inherent in the constitu- 
tion of nature. 

8. But this theory of the divine providence is not adapted 
to the exigencies of human beings. It is not enough to be 
informed that events have, upon the whole, a benign and salu- 

6. What is the result of this scripture revelation ? 

7. What is the second instance of the defectiveness of the light of 
nature ? 

8. How is this theory of divine providence deficient ? 

* Is. 1:18. t Hos. 11:8. $2. Pet. 3: 9. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



tary tendency ; we are solicitous to know what bearing they 
have upon us. Little or no comfort is derived from the doc- 
trine of a general providence in cases of individual distress. 
We may,' indeed, submit to events, over which we have no 
control, with some degree of cheerfulness; but the submis- 
sion, in reality, will often be a matter of necessity — not of 
choice. An assurance that, in the general occurrence of 
events, there is one presiding over them, who applies them 
to our individual interests, with unerring and parental skill, 
is indispensable to our personal comfort. In the absence of 
this assurance the afflicted have nothing to soothe their feelings 
but the lapse of time; and often after weeks, and months, 
and years have passed away, the language of their hearts 
still is, " 0, time ! when wilt thou bring peace to my aching 
heart ? when will thy healing stream lave my bleeding soul, 
and thy oblivious power soothe the anguish of my stricken 
spirit?" 

9. But in the holy scriptures, a system of divine provi 
dence is exhibited, exactly commensurate with our wants. 
We are there told, not only that all events are directed with 
unerring wisdom, in reference to the general interest; but, 
that every one of them, with more than parental kindness, 
is applied to the promotion of our happiness ; that the very 
hairs of our head are numbered; our tears bottled up ; and 
that every thing shall work together for our good, if we love 
God, if we are the called according to his purpose.* 

1. Believing in such a providence as this will not fail to 
contribute to our happiness. Not only will it diminish the 
pressure of affliction, blunt the poignancy of bereavement, 
and dry up the tears of anguish, but inspire the cheerful and 
submissive sentiment, " Not my will be done, but thine, O 
heavenly father." 

9. What is the scripture representation of divine providence ? 
1. What is the effect of believing in this representation ? 

* Rom. 8: 28. 



84 



A SYSTEM OP 



2. Of the insufficiency of reason's providence to render 
mankind happy, under the varying dispensations of affliction 
and disappointment, the more considerate, in all time pre- 
vious to the christian era, bore their decided testimony. 
Tossed upon the bosom of a stormy sea, wrapped in dark- 
ness, mitigated only by a few feeble and sickly rays, they 
often became the victims of despair. Philosophy had ex- 
hausted her poor resources; morality had contributed her 
last feeble efforts, and the arts had wasted their ever-varying 
expedients — but all — all had been in vain ! There gleamed 
upon their pathless voyage, only after long and fearful in- 
tervals, a pale and bewildering ray, while all beyond the 
grave was hopeless and impenetrable gloom. Anxiety, with 
her sickening train, fastened upon their hearts, and rendered 
intolerable their present sufferings, by infusing apprehen- 
sions of greater yet to come. But when the gospel of Jesus 
Christ, illumined by the light of heaven, was preached to our 
hapless race, it dispersed the clouds which had long shrouded 
the designs of God, and sent forth a bright and cheering 
light, destined to regenerate the world. Mankind, rising 
from a night of deep and bitter mourning, realized the aus- 
picious truth, " that our light afflictions, which are but for a 
moment, shall work for us a far more exceeding and eternal 
weight of glory."* 

3. Nor is the light of reason equal to that of revelation in 
furnishing motives to moral purity. 

4. Motives of this description, suggested by the light of 
reason, are nearly all drawn from the advantages of virtue 
in the present life ; and notwithstanding these, on the minds 
of a few enlightened and favoured individuals, may have 
produced salutary effects, on the great mass of human beings 

2. What did the ancients think of reason's providence ? 

3. What is the third instance of the defectiveness of nature's light ? 

4. How does this defectiveness appear ? 

• 2 Cor. 4:17. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



85 



they have been entirely inoperative. Human nature is too 
perverse to be restrained by the deductions of simple reason, 
bounded in its views by temporal good. Its government, in 
accordance with moral rectitude, requires something more 
effective than the schools of Plato, Seneca, and Confucius 
ever furnished. The dogmas of those philosophers shone 
with infinitely greater splendour in the groves, the academies, 
and the halls of legislation, than they did in the lives of their 
disciples. To dissolve the dominion of the carnal mind, to 
reclaim the wandering from the paths of vice, and to cleanse 
the polluted from their impurity, require the operations of an 
agent infinitely more powerful than human reason. An ex- 
hibition of the doctrines of the cross ; of the high and holy 
destiny reserved in heaven for the just ; and the deep damna- 
tion which awaits the guilty after death, accompanied by 
the powerful and renewing influence of the holy spirit only, 
can produce a virtuous and pious life. Corroborative of this 
position, we have the whole history of the world. In less 
than half a century more was accomplished, in the produc- 
tion of good morals, by the preaching of the twelve apostles, 
than human learning, simply, had ever done. Chaldea, 
Egypt, Greece, and Italy, had successively been illumined 
by philosophy's brightest ray ; but this, on the morals of the 
multitude, had no effect. Those classic and enlightened 
countries, notwithstanding the instructions of their mighty 
heroes, splendid orators, and illustrious sages, were rilled 
with all unrighteousness. But the apostles, illiterate, and 
without reputation, as they were, effected, in the lapse of a 
few years, a reformation, which had defied the united efforts 
of science and literature to accomplish. They proved, in 
every place they preached, that the gospel of Jesus Christ is 
the power of God unto salvation to every one who believeth, 
to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile. 

4. At the present moment, where human reason is the only 
4. How, in the second instance, does this defectiveness appear ? 

8 



86 



A SYSTE3I OF 



guide, morality is scarcely known. Proofs of this fact are 
presented, not only in the vallies of the Niger, the Gambia, 
and the Senegal ; but also, in the more enlightened regions 
of Hindostan, Canton, and Kiangku. In every portion of 
the earth, excluded from the light of revelation, a moral 
darkness, blighting to the noblest feelings of human nature, 
universally prevails. Charity, and her lovely train, are al- 
most entirely unknown, and power only is regarded as the 
rule of right. Rapine, cruelty, murder, and licentiousness 
are the wretched substitutes for the beautiful morality of the 
son of God. 

5. If, however, the light of reason were equal to that of 
revelation in disclosing the character and will of God in re- 
ference to the present life, it is manifestly inferior in the ex- 
hibition of the realities of that which is to come. Whatever 
may be the vigour and correctness of the human intellect in 
deducing the nature and extent of human duties, it is abso- 
lutely bounded in its operations by the limits of mortality. 
Reason, in its strongest efforts, unaided by revelation, cannot 
overstep the boundaries of time. Bold and rapid as its flight 
may be in traversing the fields of human learning, the mo- 
ment it arrives at the verge of the material world, it is ar- 
rested. The dark clouds which brood upon the grave abso- 
lutely defy the efforts of its prying eye, and to its most anx- 
ious wishes oppose an impenetrable barrier. Immortality 
and its high immunities are objects of its wishes rather than 
of its hopes. Death, to the eye of reason, " is a long and 
cheerless night : a night which glooms us at the noon-tide 
ray, and wraps our thoughts at banquets in the shroud." 

6. But the revelation of the holy scriptures, penetrating 
the deep recesses of the tomb, unfolds the realities of another 
world. It exhibits ground, on which to place our trembling 
hopes, and displays to our eye of faith the most cheering and 

5. What is the fourth instance of the defectiveness of nature's light? 
(j. Does revelation supply this defect? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



87 



delightful scenes. Even in the chambers of deep and bitter 
mourning, while bending over the faded forms of beloved 
friends, it affords the sweet assurance, that though we may 
now be parted, we shall meet again ; that, in the morning of 
the resurrection, if we are faithful unto death, we shall be 
delivered, not only from the afflictions of bereavement, but 
also from the dominion of the carnal mind ; from the cold 
and dreamless slumbers of the grave ; from the pains and 
torments of the second death, and all the penalties of God's 
broken law. " The ransomed of the Lord shall return and 
come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their 
heads ; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and 
sighing shall flee away."* 

* Is. 35:10. 



BOOK II. 



Of the nature, adaptations, and relations of human beings. 

1. The design and authenticity of the lights of reason and 
revelation, having been discussed in the preceding pages; the 
constitution and relations of human beings, will be the topics 
of the present book. 

2. Human beings comprehend two distinct natures: the 
one is matter, and the other mind. 

3. MATTER is that substance of which every body is 
formed : the substratum of all sensible qualities, whether the 
parts composing the substratum be perceptible or not. Its 
chief qualities are solidity, extension, divisibility, inertia, and 
attraction. 

4. That the human body is material, is a position which 
no man, in the possession of his sober senses, can deny. It 
is not only solid, extended, capable of being divided, equally 
indifferent to rest and motion, and possessed of all the quali- 
ties of attraction ; but of every other attribute of matter. If 
an individual doubts the correctness of this position, we have 
no proof, by way of argument, to offer him ; for having set 
aside the testimony of his senses, the deductions of reason 
would be unavailing. 

5. MIND is that immaterial — intellectual — and immortal 
being, which vivifies and governs the living body of man. 

1. What are the topics of the present book? 

2. What are human beings composed of? 

3. What is matter ? 

4. How is the body proved to be material ? 

5. What is mind ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY- 



89 



6. The fact of the immateriality of the human soul, or in 
other words, of its essentially different properties from mere 
matter, is supported by the highest evidence. We are com* 
pelled by the testimony of our own senses to believe that mere 
matter is utterly destitute of either sensation, perception, or 
volition ; and while this belief is formed by the natural and 
necessary operations of our mind, we are conscious of the 
existence of a principle within, possessing all these properties. 
Now, as the highest faculties, with which we are furnished 
by the God of nature for the recognition of truth are con- 
sciousness and perception, if these deceive us we must ne- 
cessarily become the victims of error. But that God, in the 
formation of human beings, would so construct the elements 
of their existence, as to render their testimony uncertain, even 
in their most simple and ordinary operation, is a supposition, 
which strikes alike at the consistency of the divine being, 
and the reality of every thing. Either our perceptions of 
the difference between mind and matter are really true, or 
God has so formed us that they must necessarily be false. 
The latter conclusion being infinitely absurd, the former must 
be taken as true. To the correctness of the testimony of our 
nature that we are in possession of properties superior to all 
the known modifications of matter, we have pledged the con- 
sistency and truth of God — and beyond this proof can never 
go. 

7. The intellectual qualities of mind comprehend percep- 
tion, the power of comparing ideas, and deducing inferences ; 
and that human beings are in possession of these faculties, 
we are as certain as we are of our own existence. We wit- 
ness their operations in the conduct of our fellow-creatures, 
and are conscious of their presence in our own minds. That 
the sun exists, is a position less evident than that the human 
mind is in possession of intellectual powers. 

6. How is the mind proved to be immaterial ? 

7. What do the intellectual qualities of mind comprehend ? 

8 * 



90 



A SYSTEM OP 



8. But while the immaterial and intellectual nature of the 
human mind is proved by evidence of the highest kind, its 
immortality is demonstrated by a different process. The evi- 
dences in both cases ultimately rest upon the same basis ; but 
they are brought to this result by different actions. The 
process in the latter case may, indeed, be less agreeable to 
human indolence, but its result to the diligent and candid stu- 
dent will not be less satisfactory. 

9. The possibility of the immortality of the human mind 
is demonstrated by the works of nature. Vegetation, in all 
its varieties, contains a principle of vitality, which, surviving 
the dissolution of its coarser parts, discloses, under favourable 
circumstances, the freshness and verdure of its former exis- 
tence, Seeds which had been long emboweled in the earth, 
have been known, after their disinterment, to develop a liv- 
ing and vegetative principle. Of the correctness of this state- 
ment we have ocular proof; and yet to an individual unac- 
quainted with the laws of nature, the perpetuation of the prin- 
ciple of life in seeds, after the decay and destruction of their 
parent stock, would appear less likely than the immortality 
of the human soul. 

1. Nor have we instances of a continuous vital principle 
only in the vegetable; but also in the animal kingdom. Like 
the fabled phoenix, many species of beings, rising from the 
ruins of their predecessors, reappear in a state of increased 
beauty and animation. Though their bodies become the sub- 
jects of decay, their animal identity is still preserved. In- 
stances of this description, in the natural history of the chry- 
salis, are too frequent and familiar to require proof. 

2. What then is common in two departments of nature is 
surely possible in a third of a similar nature. If the living 

8. How is the immortality of the soul proved ? 

9. How does it appear that the immortality of the soul is possible ? 

1. From what else does the immortality of the soul appear possible? 

2. What is the deduction from these instances ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



91 



principle, both of animal and vegetable substances, not un- 
frequently survive the destruction of its coarser parts, the 
possibility of the mind, retaining its existence, after its sepa- 
ration from the body, cannot be doubted. 

3. Nor is the immortality of the soul simply possible ; but, 
under the circumstances of the case, highly probable. It is 
a dictate of sound philosophy that we should expect things 
to continue as they are, unless we have proof the contrary 
will happen. 

4. In the whole range of physiological research, there is 
not the slightest proof that the soul will become extinct at 
the dissolution of the body ; but all the facts attainable on 
this point lead to the expectation of a different result. Death 
consists simply in the derangement and separation of our 
corporeal particles ; but this process can never affect the mind : 
for being a simple essence it is not susceptible of decomposi- 
tion. 

5. That mind is not dependent on matter for its being, is 
highly probable from the dissimilarity of their natures. The 
one is a thinking energy, and the other is an unthinking sub- 
stance ; the one possesses power to begin and continue mo- 
tion, and the other is inert ; the one possesses consciousness, 
and the other is without feeling ; the one is, in many respects, 
beyond the cognizance of the senses, and the other is gener- 
ally accessible to their notice ; the one is composed of parts, 
and the other is a simple essence ; the one is susceptible of 
division, and the other is incapable of separation. 

6. From the fact, then, that our souls now exist, and there 
being no evidence that they will ever cease to be, the true 
and philosophical deduction is, they will exist forever. 

3. How does the immortality of the soul appear probable ? 

4. Is there any proof that the soul will become extinct at death ? 

5. Is mind dependent on matter for its being ? 

6. What is the conclusion of this argument ? 



92 



A SYSTEM OF 



7. Corroborative of this conclusion is the fact that human 
beings die in the full possession of faculties, for the maturity 
and development of which, no opportunity had been afforded. 
Some expire just as their intellectual and moral powers begin 
to operate, and many before that period arrives. Should 
their souls become extinct at death, it would seem that those 
faculties were made in vain. Such a conclusion, however, 
would derogate both from the wisdom and the power of God. 
A being of infinite perfection can never make, simply, for 
the purpose of destroying. Nor will his providence permit 
the occurrence of events not in accordance with his dignity. 
Every act of God is designed to promote his own honour in 
the happiness of his creatures ; and no event ever did, or ever 
can transpire that will, in any degree, prevent the accom- 
plishment of this object. All events, the death of infants as 
well as that of men, being under the control of God, the sup- 
position is not unreasonable, that those faculties, which are 
prevented from development, by an act of his, will have as- 
signed for them, beyond the limits of mortality, not only a 
sphere of action, but an opportunity for the attainment and 
exhibition of maturity. That infants, just emerging into in- 
tellectual and moral life, exhibiting all the indications of an 
improving mind, should, on the occurrence of an early death, 
be stricken into non-existence, seems impossible. Those 
elastic powers, which, under favourable circumstances, would 
ripen into talents of the highest order, will not — cannot be 
quenched in the night of death. If infants are not immortal, 
why are they possessed with the attributes of mind? Why 
are they cut down in the morning of their being, and those 
bright powers, which were capable of the highest splendour 
extinguished in the darkness of the grave ? So sure as God 
works not in vain ; as he imparts to infants, mental and 
moral powers, he will afford them, either in this life, or in 
that which is to come, an opportunity for development. 

7. What strengthens this conclusion ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



93 



8. This conclusion is strengthened by the well known fact 
of the expansibility of mind. God, in regard to its enlarge- 
ment, has never said, " hitherto thou shalt come and no fur- 
ther," but has evidently possessed it with capabilities of inde- 
finite improvement. So long as it is unembarrassed by the 
instrument of its operations, it evinces a capacity for new 
acquirements. It not unfrequently triumphs over pain, even 
in the agonies of death, and seems, in the full possession of 
its vigour, to quit the body. 

9. In the possession of growing powers, restricted only by 
the shackles of mortality, the supposition that its existence 
will be continued merely while it is connected with the body, 
is unreasonable. Called into existence to contemplate the 
character and government of God, it will, and must, have 
time to accomplish the object of its being. Made capable of 
acquiring the boundless riches of natural, moral, and reli- 
gious knowledge, it clearly is not intended to be merely the 
creature of a day. As God would not have created the uni- 
verse for the occupancy of a mite, so the interminably pro- 
gressive capacities of the human mind could not have been 
designed for a transitory duration. 

1. Confirmatory of this conclusion is the adaptation of the 
principal faculties of the mind. Those faculties are percep- 
tion, judgment, and memory ; and are naturally fitted to in- 
vestigate the most enduring portions of the universe. God, 
in the boundless variety of his providence and government — 
truth, in its infinitely diversified relations to natural and moral 
science — and time, in its never ceasing progress and results, 
are objects, for the contemplation of which, those faculties 
are naturally designed. Who, in the view of this fact, can 
question the immortality of the soul? Who can believe, 

8. What corroborates this conclusion ? 

9. What inference is drawn from the growing powers of mind? 
1. What is confirmatory of this conclusion? 



94 



A SYSTEM OP 



that destined, by its nature, to the examination of things eter- 
nal in their duration, it should itself be transitory 1 Why- 
should God, in the constitution of mind, adapt and incline it 
to the scrutiny of subjects of unlimited continuance, if, after 
the lapse of a few years, it be destined itself to return to 
nothing? Every man of reflection would condemn a me- 
chanic for fitting a machine to the waste of ages, if that ma- 
chine were intended to exist only a few hours. How then 
can we impute to God a procedure that would be repudiated 
in man ? So sure as there exists in the economy of nature 
an adaptation of creatures to the objects of their creation, 
man must be immortal. Nature, in possessing him with fa- 
culties adapted to the contemplation of objects eternal in their 
duration, proclaimed that his career shall be commensurate 
with the existence of those objects. The character of the 
mental faculties bear, upon their very front, the impress of 
immortality. 

2. In support of this conclusion may be cited the irre- 
pressible love of life naturally existent in the human mind. 
To survive the period of our mortal existence; to possess a 
being not subject to extinction, is an object of our fondest 
and strongest wishes. Scarcely any catastrophe, in the 
range of human conception, is so entirely dreadful, as that 
of annihilation. To be consigned to the silent grave, with- 
out the hope of resuscitation, while the dark clouds of obli- 
vion settle upon our name, our memory, and our being, con- 
stitutes an event too revolting to contemplate. From such a 
scene the soul shrinks back with horror, and clings to life 
with convulsive and undying ardour. Of all the feelings 
which animate the human mind, the love of life is the first 
which begins to operate, and is the last that will cease to 
exist. Mingling, in some form or other, with every element 
of our nature, it imparts a character to every action that we 

2. Does the love of life support this conclusion ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



95 



perform; sheds a ray of light upon every hope that we pos- 
sess, and imbues with deeper bitterness every apprehension 
that we feel. 

3. What, then, does this natural love of life proclaim 1 
Certainly the possibility of its gratification. The great pa- 
rent of the universe would not have incorporated in our na- 
ture, a desire that must inevitably be disappointed. Why 
should the creator of all things thus sport with human beings ? 
Why, in our formation would he have rendered the love of 
life the strongest of all feelings, and then crush it in annihi- 
lation 1 The tendency of our constitution, in every other 
instance, indicates the objects designed for our possession ; 
and why should not the desire we possess for immortality 
also intimate the certainty of its accomplishment ? 

4. Of the correctness of this deduction we have a still 
stronger proof in the character of the divine government. In- 
finitely just and holy as God is, his moral subjects must be 
rewarded according to their merits. An accidental, or ca- 
pricious distribution of rewards and punishments never can 
proceed from the divine administration. Reason and revela- 
tion declare that God will reward every man according to 
his doings. If this be the fact, there must be a state of re- 
tribution beyond the grave; for it is obvious that such a state 
of things does not exist in the present life. Nothing is more no- 
torious than that the virtuous are often the subjects of perse- 
cution and affliction, while those who neither fear God nor 
regard man, possess, in great abundance, the good things of 
the present world. The absence of an exact and retribu- 
tive providence in regard to human actions, in this state of 
existence, is a fact too evident to be denied. This state of 
things now exists, always has existed, and will probably long 
continue to exist. If, then, the universe is under the govern- 

3. What does the natural love of life proclaim ? 
4- Does the character of the divine government prove the doctrine of 
immortality? 



96 



A SYSTEM! OF 



ment of a righteous ruler, there must be another state of 
existence for the exhibition of his equity. The clouds which 
now rest upon his dispensations must be dispelled, and all his 
moral subjects rewarded according to the deeds done in the 
body. Upon this basis only can we " assert eternal provi- 
dence, and justify the ways of God to man." 

5. The doctrine of the immortality of the human soul, 
under some modification or other, has been believed at all 
times, and by ail people. Discordant as their opinions have 
been upon other topics, upon this there has been a striking 
coincidence. Pagans, at an early period, incorporated the 
principle of a responsible hereafter into their mythology, and 
have retained it to the present time. It exists alike in the 
classic page, the rustic song, and the mystic ceremony. — 
But how can we account for this fact but upon the supposition 
that the doctrine is correct. That a belief existing in the 
human mind, at all times, and under all circumstances, 
should be simply an effect of the imagination is not possible. 
From the universality of its existence, under all the revolu- 
tions and modifications of the social state, it evidently can- 
not be a factitious sentiment ; but a principle growing out of 
the organization and condition of human beings, or impress- 
ed upon them by the holy spirit : — and consequently true. 

6. So intimately blended with the feelings and interests of 
human beings is the doctrine of immortality, that they can 
scarcely exist without it. The moment an individual blots 
it from his creed, he sinks to a level with the beasts that 
perish. In the estimation of his country's laws, he is un- 
worthy of belief, even when under the solemnities of a judi- 
cial oath. He breaks from the moorings of social order, 
and plunges, without a rudder, or a chart, into a dark and tem- 
pestuous sea. He, at once, divests himself of all those pow- 
erful considerations which animate him to virtue, or console 

5. What farther proof have we of the immortality of the human soul ? 

6. What is the next proof of the immortality of the soul? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



97 



him under afflictions. All those pleasing anticipations of a 
recompense beyond the grave are dashed from him. Those 
high and holy hopes, which have produced the noblest 
instances of heroic virtue ; which have supplied the sweetest 
and most availing antidote to the sorrows of the world ; and 
which have so often illumined, with a ray from heaven, the 
couch of him, who feels that every worldly stay is fast drop- 
ping from beneath him — are annihilated. If there be no re- 
sponsible hereafter for our conduct in the present life, what 
rule is there to guide in the performance of human actions ? 
What is there to stir to the accomplishment of those duties, 
from which no personal advantages are to be derived ? What 
to restrain from those crimes, by which the individual sees, 
or fancies he sees, he will be the gainer in the present world ? 
Take away the belief of immortality, and what will be left 
behind, but the jail or the gibbet, neither of which will 
long restrain from the commission of the greatest crimes ? 

7. To these considerations may be added the testimony of 
the holy scriptures. The doctrine of immortality is, indeed, 
the basis of our holy religion. If man is not immortal, why 
did the son of God become incarnate? What meant his 
sighs, his groans, his dying agonies '? These were all with- 
out meaning, if man is not to live beyond the tomb : for in 
this result they accomplished nothing. It is because the hu- 
man soul is destined to survive its separation from the body, 
and exist forever, either in happiness or misery, that Christ 
died upon the cross. 

8. But upon this subject farther reasoning is unnecessary : 
— for we have the plain and decisive testimony of inspiration : 
" These," said Jesus Christ, referring to the wicked, " shall 
go away into everlasting punishment ; but the righteous into 

7. What other proof may be adduced of the immortality of the soul ? 

8. What scripture authorities are adduced to prove the immortality of 
the soul? 

9 



98 



A SYSTEM OF 



life eternal"* And St. Paul declares that Christ " hath 
brought life and immortality to light through the gospeh"f 

9. These, and other passages of scripture, too numerous 
to quote on this occasion, place the doctrine of immortality 
upon the firmest footing. Indeed the whole system of reve- 
lation is based upon this important and fundamental principle. 

1. From this general description of the composition of 
human beings, we will proceed to a more particular analysis 
of their mental operations. 

2. The soul isolated from every thing in the universe would 
possess nothing but a consciousness of existence. In this 
condition it would acquire no knowledge, exercise no voli- 
tion, nor perform any action. But connected with the body 
ft becomes acquainted with material things ; and these things, 
operating upon its natural susceptibilities, produce all those 
animal, moral, and intellectual phenomena which are ex- 
hibited in the life of man. 

3. Writers on mental philosophy have generally ascribed 
to the human mind a variety of faculties ; but after the se- 
verest scrutiny, it seems to us that those phenomena, termed 
faculties, are rather actions than separate powers. The 
rnind, in our view, is one and indivisible ; and those opera- 
tions which have been denominated faculties, are only the 
same energy, excited to different actions, by various causes. 

4. But although the mind is a simple and indivisible sub- 
stance, it is capable, from its numerous susceptibilities, of 
performing a variety of operations. These, for the sake of 

9. Are there any other authorities to prove this point? 

1. What next do we proceed to? 

2. How does the soul become acquainted with material things ? 

3. Does the soul possess a variety of faculties? 

4. Is the soul capable of performing a variety of operations ? 

* Mat. 25: 46. t 2 Tim. 1:10. 



MORAL PHILOSOrHY. 



perspicuity, we will divide into the following classes, namely, 
primary, secondary, and adventitious. 

5. The primary class of operations consists of those ac- 
tions which are simple, or uncompounded ; arid comprehends 
feeling, perception, and memory. 

6. By the term feeling, we mean, in the present instance, 
not only a consciousness of existence, but also of pleasure 
and pain. " Consciousness," says Dr. Brown, " is a general 
term, expressive of the whole variety of our feelings." These 
terms, therefore, will be used synonymously. 

7. Feeling is an essential quality of mind ; the substratum 
or basis of nearly all its operations. We can have no con- 
ception of mind without consciousness, or of consciousness 
without mind. They imply one and the same thing. The 
senses are often the instruments of exciting and modifying 
feeling ; but never of creating it. All the evidence we have, 
or can have, upon this subject, authorizes the collusion ? ths* 
mere matter, under any circumstances of modification, is in- 
capable of feeling. 

8. This characteristic quality of mind naturally inclines 
us to make our own enjoyment the first object of pursuit. 
A desire for happiness, in sentient beings, is the spring of 
all action ; and for the gratification of this desire, the works 
and government of God, and the whole system of human 
duties, are admirably and harmoniously adapted. 

9. The constitution of human feelings is such, that some 
things are naturally agreeable to them, and others are dis- 
agreeable. Virtue, beauty, order, utility, prosperity, gen- 
eral happiness, public approbation, &c. belong to the first 
class ; and vice, deformity, disorder, mischief, decay, gen- 

5. Of what does the primary class of operations consist ? 

6. What is meant by the term feeling? 

7. Is feeling an essential quality of mind? 

8. What does feeling incline us to make? 

9. What is the constitution of feeling ? 



100 



A SYSTEM OF 



eral suffering, public disapprobation, &c. to the latter. If 
we inquire why these things are agreeable or disagreeable, 
the only answer that can be given is, they are naturally so. 
The feelings of the mind are often modified by reflection, 
and extraneous causes ; and their whole character is more 
or less affected by the connexion of soul and body. The 
dissimilarity of the intellects, passions and appetites of 
different individuals, is doubtless owing to the peculiarities 
of their temperament, organic structure, and other external 
causes. 

1. Instincts are modifications of feeling, produced by a 
particular organic structure, inclining its subjects to do cer- 
tain things in a particular way. If infants are prompted 
to seek nourishment from their mother's breast by a par- 
ticular process, they are thus prompted by their feelings; 
and those feelings are excited and governed by organic 
laws. 

2. Benevolence, or a feeling which prompts us to relieve 
suffering, is a natural operation of the mind; but it is often, 
if not always, modified by reflection and external causes. 
In deciding the character of this feeling, around which meta- 
physicians have thrown so much difficulty, the question is, 
not whether we actually promote our happiness by acts of 
kindness, or whether, in any degree, we intend the accom- 
plishment of this object ; but, simply, whether a desire to 
relieve an object of distress from suffering, is a natural feel- 
ing or not. Viewing the question in this light, we have no 
hesitancy in believing it to be natural ; though, like every 
other feeling, it may be subject to the modifying influence 
of extraneous causes. An individual, on beholding an 
object of distress, instantly feels a desire to relieve him; and 
though a variety of circumstances may concur in heightening 

1. What are instincts ? 

2. What is benevolence? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



101 



or depressing the feeling, it certainly originated in his or- 
ganization, and is, therefore, natural. 

3. Perception is that action of the mind by which we 
become acquainted with external objects. We perceive, 
what is called a house, a man, a river, a landscape, in con- 
sequence of certain external objects being properly presented 
to our organs of sensation. 

4. Between perceptions and sensations there is this differ- 
ence : the latter " are those states of mind, which immediately 
succeed the changes of state, produced in any of our organs 
of sense, by the presence of external objects : the former 
are the references we make of our sensations to something 
external as the cause of them. When we smell a rose, for 
instance, the smell is the sensation, and the perception is the 
reference we make of this sensation to the rose, as the cause 
of the smell."* 

5. Perception is distinct from feeling. The former modi- 
fies the latter, but does not create it. An individual may 
have perception without feeling ; and feeling without percep- 
tion. We, for instance, can perceive the lines of a geome- 
trical figure without feeling ; and a foetus may feel without 
perception. 

6. Memory is that action of the mind which retains ideas 
it had previously acquired. How this process is conducted 
we are unable to explain. The doctrine of phantasms, as 
advocated by ancient philosophers, and many other theories, 
of later times, are all obnoxious to unanswerable objections ; 
and in this, as well as in many other instances, we are compel- 
led to believe the fact without understanding the process. 

3. What is perception? 

4. What is the difference between perceptions and sensations ? 

5. Is perception different from feeling ? 

6. What is memory ? 

* Dr. Brown. 
9* 



102 



A SYSTEM OF 



7. We have called the memory a simple act; because it 
seems to be distinct from all others. It is not feeling; for 
we remember curves, parallels, and other figures, which we 
drew in our younger days, without the least feeling ; nor is 
it perception : for we often remember circumstances which 
have long since passed beyond the cognizance of our senses. 
These actions of the mind, do undoubtedly, upon the princi- 
ple of association, often assist in recollecting past events ; 
but the operation of recording and retaining ideas, is an act 
distinct from both. The mind, in its connexion with the 
body, is so constructed that it naturally possesses more or less 
tenacity for ideas already acquired ; and this tenacity we 
call memory. 

8. Our inborn feelings, and the powers of perception and 
memory, constitute, in our view, the elements of mind; and 
afford an ample explanation of the origin of every species of 
knowledge and emotion that human beings are capable of 
possessing. 

9. From these simple or primary actions of the mind, a 
secondary or compound class of acts is formed. This for- 
mation is the necessary effect of the primary actions, and 
consists of desire, aversion, judgment, conscience, will, &c. 

1. Desire and aversion are formed by feeling and percep- 
tion. The qualities of some things are naturally agreeable 
to the feelings ; and those of others disagreeable ; the for- 
mer produce desire, and the latter aversion. 

2. In looking upon objects and their effects, we not unfre- 
quently perceive, or think we perceive, something conducive 
to our happiness ; this excites a desire to obtain them. In 

7. Is memory a simple act? 

8. What are the elements of the mind? 

9. What are formed by the simple actions of the mind? 

1. How are desire and aversion formed? 

2. How is this subject illustrated ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



103 



others we perceive, or think we perceive, qualities or cir- 
cumstances tending to our misery ; this produces an aver- 
sion to them. Things which are good, or apparently good, 
excite desire ; and things which are evil, or apparently evil, 
aversion. The passions and appetites are only modifications 
of desire and aversion. Objects of desire excite the benevo- 
lent and complacent affections, and objects of aversion the 
malevolent and disgustful passions. 

3. Judgment is the effect of perception and memory. 
After comparing the qualities and circumstances of different 
objects, we form an opinion concerning their agreement or 
disagreement; and this opinion is judgment. It implies the 
action of perception, and not unfrequently of memory. To 
form a decision upon any subject, a perception of its quali- 
ties and circumstances are indispensable; and this process, 
in many instances, necessarily requires recollection. 

4. Conscience is the united action of feeling and percep- 
tion, in reference to moral subjects. So far as it is purely 
natural, it consists simply of a perception of what is right 
and wrong, and of feelings in consonance with the former, 
and in dissonance to the latter. The elements of this faculty, 
or what we have denominated feeling and perception, are 
purely natural; but the right improvement of those elements 
is adventitious. A natural conscience, and a good conscience, 
correctly speaking, are phrases of different import. Every 
rational being is, more or less, in possession of a natural 
conscience, that is, a perception of, and a sensibility to virtue ; 
but few, comparatively speaking, are in possession of a good 
conscience ; that is, of a perception and sensibility in refer- 
ence to moral things, duly regulated by reason and revela- 
tion. 

That mankind are naturally competent to perceive the pro- 
priety and fitness of moral things, (especially with the as- 

3. What is judgment? 

4. What is conscience ? 



104 



A SYSTEM OF 



sistance of revelation,) is a position too evident to require 
proof, and that they are naturally possessed of feelings in 
harmony with such propriety, when properly perceived, is 
equally evident. " This commandment," said God to the 
Hebrews, " which I command thee this day, is not hidden 
from thee, neither is it far off : it is not in heaven, that thou 
shouldest say, who shall go up for us to heaven and bring it 
unto us, that we may hear it, and do it ? Neither is it be- 
yond the sea, that thou shouldest say, who shall go over the 
sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do 
it 1 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and 
in thy heart, that thou mayest do it." * Whatever may be 
the degradation of human nature, it is clear from the whole 
history of man, that his sober judgment and natural feelings 
approve of moral rectitude, if not in his own case, at least 
in that of others. Never did the judgment and feelings of 
a rational human being approve vice when properly pre- 
sented to his view ; or repudiate virtue, when exhibited in 
her native aspects. The approval of the first, or the con- 
demnation of the second, is not, in any instance, the neces- 
sary result of human organization ; but of its perversion by 
the superinduced influence of ignorance, prejudice, and error. 
God, in the formation of human nature, created principles, 
whose natural tendency is to recognize and approve virtue ; 
and those principles are the inborn feelings of the soul, and 
its power of perception. 

5. Conscience being thus engrafted upon the constitution 
of human nature, is designed to be the expositor of human 
duty. Notwithstanding its decisions are not infallible ; nor 
its authority ultimate ; yet are its dictates entitled to great 
respect. We are always bound to act in conformity with 
the decisions of our conscience ; for although these decisions 

£. What is the design of conscience f 

* Deut. 30 : 11— 14— See Rom. 2 : 14, 15. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



105 



are often wrong, yet, as we believe them to be right, our 
acting in contradiction to them would result from a repug- 
nance to, an admitted duty, and this repugnance would be 
criminal notwithstanding our conduct, in the abstract, might 
be right. The guilt of acting in conformity with a wrong 
conscience arises, more from a negligence in forming that 
conscience, than it does from acting in conformity with it 
after it is formed. 

6. The human conscience, abstractedly considered, is a 
natural capacity for forming right notions on moral subjects; 
and this capacity we are bound by the most solemn obliga- 
tions to improve. Acting as we necessarily must, upon the 
decisions of our own conscience, as being to us the arbiter 
of right and wrong, it is obviously a duty of the first impor- 
tance to see that that arbiter be duly informed. 

7. That the dictates of conscience are not infallible; nor 
its authority ultimate, is evident from the discrepancy of its 
decisions, and from the circumstance that individuals who 
have grown up without instruction have little or no conscience. 
In order to bring it to maturity, this faculty, like every other 
action of the mind, must be subjected to exercise and disci- 
pline. The taste of Raphael, Michael Angelo, and Praxiteles, 
existed in them naturally; but its development and gradual 
approximation to perfection depended on their efforts to im- 
prove it. So a good conscience, consists not of a simple 
and independent faculty dictating with infallible certainty 
what is right and wrong; but of sound feelings and a cor- 
rect judgment, improved by reflection and the word of God. 

8. The will, or the power of choosing and refusing, is a 
modification of desire founded on feeling and perception. In 
any range of choice we always select those objects, which, 
upon the whole, we think will contribute most to our happi- 

6. Are we under obligations to improve our conscience ? 

7. Are the dictates of the conscience infallible ? 

8. What is the will? 



106 



A SYSTEM OP 



ness, or least to our misery. This is a fundamental law of 
our nature. Volition, or the act of willing, is always in ac- 
cordance with our own feelings and perceptions, and is, in 
this respect, perfectly free. Whatever may be the character 
of our choices, they are the spontaneous result of our own 
mental condition. A coerced will, or a choice in repugnance 
to this condition, is impossible. A higher degree of liberty 
than a freedom to follow the suggestions of his own feelings 
and perceptions, no created being can possess; and a less de- 
gree would be inconsistent with responsibility and probation. 
The infinitely diversified combinations of internal and exter- 
nal influences, have thrown around the operations of the will 
inscrutable perplexities, and we must be satisfied with the as- 
surance of scripture and experience, that while we are infi- 
nitely dependent, we are, in our volitions, perfectly free, 

9. The imagination consists of the combination of feeling 
and perception ; and is the power of presenting things in a 
new and singular way ; or of giving to old facts a new dress. 
This operation of the mind not unfrequently combines all its 
primary and simple actions. In giving fictitious colourings 
to past events it is obvious the memory, as well as the feeling 
and perception, is employed. 

1. Genius is chiefly the result of feeling and perception. 
An individual possesses a genius for music, architecture, and 
painting; because the actions of his mind have predisposed 
and adapted him to these pursuits. Genius, strictly speaking, 
is a special aptitude for certain things, induced by a peculiar 
modification of the mental and bodily powers. 

2. Taste is a perception of, and a sensibility to the beau- 
ties of nature and art. Delicacy of feeling and accuracy of 
perception, constitute in perfection this important and pleas- 
ing faculty. 

9. What is the imagination ? 

1. What is genius ? 

2. What is taste ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



107 



3. By a combination of the primary and secondary ac- 
tions of the mind, under the influence of external circum- 
stances^ certain feelings and principles are superinduced, 
which, on account of their complicated nature, and the char- 
acter of the agents employed in their formation, have been 
denominated adventitious. The principal of these are, habit, 
patriotism, parental affection, filial affection, fraternal affec- 
tion, &c. 

4. Habit is the effect of memory and feeling, cherished 
under particular circumstances. 

5. Patriotism is compounded of self-love and benevolence; 
and is graduated in its intensity by reflection, and the condi- 
tion of our country. 

6. Parental affection, filial affection, &c, are compounded 
of the same qualities ; but exist in a higher degree, owing to 
the greater frequency of their occurrence, and the diminished 
extent of their operation. 

7. From the nature of man we will proceed to deduce his 
relations. As the systematic adaptation of things necessarily 
form a relation between them, we arrive at a knowledge of 
the latter by ascertaining the former. In examining, for in- 
stance, the solar system, and learning the elements of its 
component parts, we perceive immediately the relations in 
which the}?" stand to one another. We see that the seconda- 
ries sustain to the primaries a different relation from what 
they do to one another ; and that the secondaries are to the 
primaries, in many respects different from what the primaries 
are to the sun. So by ascertaining the adaptations of man 

3. What is formed by a combination of the primary and secondary 
actions of the mind? 

4. What is habit ? 

5. What is patriotism ? 

6. What are parental affection, filial affection, &c. 

7. From what do we deduce the relations of man ? 



103 



A SYSTEM OF 



to the universe, and of the universe to man, we discover the 
relations they bear to one another. 

8. Man, in the first place, is a creature. 

9. This is evident from the fact of his composition. If 
man were homogeneous in his nature, his eternal existence 
would be more probable than it is ; but being a compound 
of very different ingredients, his creation is certain. The 
elements of a composition must be in a simple state before 
they are united : else an effect will exist before its cause. 
Composition implying the union of different substances, the 
combination of those substances must be subsequent to the 
beginning of their elementary condition. If the elements 
did not exist previous to their combination, how could the)- 
have been combined ? To say that a compound existed be- 
fore its component parts were in being is a contradiction in 
terms. 

1. The unceasing tendency of man to dissolution, likewise 
proves him to be a creature. Were his nature uncreated and 
eternal, it would not be subject to decay. That which has 
subsisted from eternity must be immortal in its nature. The 
eternity which is future is no longer than the eternity which 
is past ; and that which could resist decay in the latter pe- 
riod, will likewise resist it in the former. But man, alas! is 
hastening to the dust. He is of few days and full of trouble ; 
he cometh up in the morning and is cut down before the 
evening.* Surely, that which is so transitory in its nature 
cannot have existed from eternity. 

2. But that human beings are not eternal, is a positioD 
which needs not the aid of reason to demonstrate 
Our progress from infancy, within our own remembrance 

8. What is man in the first place ? 

9. Which is the first argument to prove this? 

1. What is the next argument to prove that man is a creature? 

2. What facts prove man to be a creature ? 

* Job. 14 ch. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



109 



proves we had a beginning ; and this fact is corroborated by 
the record of our birth, and the testimony of our parents. 

3. Man being a creature, he is necessarily dependent. 

4. Passive and unconscious as he was in his creation, he 
received what was given him, and no more; and for the con- 
tinuance of the gift he is dependent on the giver. To the 
primary cause of being, man, like every other creature, is 
indebted for all that he now enjoys, or ever did enjoy. In 
the strong and expressive language of inspiration, " in him 
he lives, and moves, and has his being."* 

5. And while he is thus dependent upon the origin of all 
things, he is, in a secondary sense, dependent on every thing 
with which he is connected. Man is one link in the great 
chain of existence, and he is dependent on every other link, 
for the accomplishment of his destiny. In the vast and com- 
plicated machinery of the universe there is nothing super- 
fluous; nothing insubordinate; but every thing, however in- 
significant, is essential to the whole ; and of that whole, God 
is the supreme director. 

6. Man also is a social creature. The circumstances of 
his condition, and the constitution of his nature, all incline 
him to the social state; and this state is contributive alike to 
his own happiness, and to the general welfare. 

7. Standing as he does in these relations, he is evidently 
responsible : responsible to his creator, benefactor, and gov- 
ernor, and also to his fellow-creatures. 

8. Some, indeed, believing the universe to be under the do- 
minion of fate, and every action the result of necessity, con- 

3. What other relation does man sustain? 

4. How is the dependence of man proved ? 

5. On what is man dependent besides God? 

6. What other relation does man sustain ? 

7. Is man a responsible creature ? 

8. What is the opinion of some on this subject? 

Acts 17:28. 
10 



110 



A SYSTEM OF 



tend that man is not, and cannot be responsible for his con- 
duct. And if the premises be true, the conclusion necessa- 
rily follows. Where there is no power there can be no re- 
sponsibility. Accountability for actions, over which we have 
no control, is a solecism alike apparent to reason and to com- 
mon sense. But of the incorrectness of the premises we 
have no doubt. The dogmas of fatality originated in the 
errors of paganism, and have long since been invalidated by 
reason and revelation. 

9. God not only called man into being, but possessed him 
with reason and immortality. He stamped upon him, in the 
process of creation, the features of his own mind, and adapted 
him, in all respects, to the purposes of moral government. 
Fitted by the attributes of his nature for a discipline of this 
description, he cannot be irresponsible for his conduct. 

1. Nor has God bestowed on human beings only reason 
and immortality, but also every other blessing, suitable to 
their condition, and the promotion of their happiness. In 
the most impressive and effective manner, he has revealed to 
them the objects of their faith ; has sent his son to exemplify, 
in his life and conversation, the requirements of his law ; to 
make, in the sacrifice of the cross, an ample and full atone- 
ment for their sins; to secure to them the aid and comfort of 
his spirit ; and to render the dispensations of his providence 
subservient to their present and eternal interests. In the pos- 
session of these blessings, nothing, certainly, can be more 
proper than that man should be held accountable to his bene- 
factor for his conduct. 

2. The importance of the doctrine of human responsibility 
proves it to be a reality. W ere this article stricken from 
our creed, the result would be infinitely mischievous. The 
dread of a future retribution, which now restrains the con- 

9. What is the first argument to prove man responsible ? 

1. What is the second argument to prove man responsible? 

2. What is the third argument to prove man responsible ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



Ill 



duct of human beings, would, in this event, be done away. 
The efficiency of human laws, and the influence of social life, 
being thus divested of their greatest power, crime would uni- 
versally prevail. So intimately connected with the well-being 
of society is a belief in the doctrine of responsibility, that 
no community has ever flourished without it. Pagans, in 
their deepest degradation, have had their tribunals in another 
world, before which they were to be judged according to 
their doings in the present life. And if this belief, in all its 
modifications, were expunged from the human mind, an utter 
recklessness of propriety, and moral conduct, would ensue. 
Chaos would come again, and every man would do as seem- 
eth good in his own eyes. 

3. A belief which is so essential to the public welfare, 
must be true. There never can exist a reason for acting 
upon a principle which is false. The supposition that fiction, 
in any instance, is necessary to govern the world, is in dero- 
gation from him who made it. That which is rendered im- 
portant by the constitution of human beings to be believed, 
must be worthy of belief; and nothing can be worthy of be- 
lief but what is true. 

4. Nor is th r doctrine of a responsible hereafter, less con- 
sistent with t sense of mankind than it is with 
their interest. y f i modification or other the doctrine 
has been believeu people, in all ages. It is written by 
the finger of God a the living tablet of every heart. It 
exists among the inhabitants of the polar regions, the uncul- 
tivated tenants of negro hamlets, the lofty mountains of Thi- 
bet, and the lowly vallies of Hindostan, as well as among 
those of Jewish and christian countries. Co-extensive with 
human nature is a belief of future retribution. This belief 
is so natural to the mind of man, that neither the ravages of 
time, nor the wastes of accident, have been able to destroy 

3. What is the fourth argument to prove man responsible ? 

4. What is the fifth argument to prove man responsible ? 



112 



A SYSTEM OF 



it. Notwithstanding six thousand years have passed away, 
and the ebb and flood of life have been continually altering 
the face of nature; — although numerous and powerful agents 
have been unceasingly operating on the character of human 
beings; and have, in the lapse of time, thrown them into ev- 
ery conceivable variety of situation prejudicial to this senti- 
ment, it has remained unimpaired to the present moment. 
Nor is it ever lessened by the approach of death. Though 
amid the business, amusements, and tumults of the present 
life, the sentiment not unfrequently becomes inoperative; yet 
in the silence of solitude, under the dispensations of afflic- 
tion, and, above all, in the view of death, it is sure to revive, 
and disclose itself. Reason, feeble as her vision is, looks be- 
yond the grave, and sees, or thinks she sees, in " that bourne 
from which no traveller returns," a condition of rewards and 
punishments. 

5. The scriptures, upon this subject, speak with a perspi- 
cuity worthy of its importance. They dissipate every cloud ; 
clear up every doubt ; and impress upon the mind a full con- 
viction of its truth. Every precept of the decalogue; every 
ordinance of the Jewish ritual; every promise of the gospel, 
and every denunciation of the law, is bas' 1 upon the ac- 
countability of man. In the extinct 1 '^ doctrine the 
scriptures become a mass of dogr order, and 
without force. They lose every pa^ 5 > of vitality, and 
dwindle to a code of ethics, destitute alike? of sanctions and 
of power. " We must all," they tell us, " appear before the 
judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things 
done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it 
be good or bad."* " And the time is coming, and now is, 
when they that are dead shall hear the voice of the son of 
man, and come forth ; they that have done good to the resur- 

5. What is the sixth argument to prove man responsible ? 

* 2 Cor. 5:10. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



113 



rection of life, and they that have done evil to the resurrec- 
tion of damnation."* 

6. The solemn and infinitely interesting doctrine of a fu- 
ture judgment is dwelt upon in the holy scripture with a 
plenitude and emphasis not to be misapprehended. " These," 
said Jesus Christ, referring to the transactions of the last 
day, " shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the 
righteous into life eternal"^ The nature and duration of 
these rewards and punishments ought to be most seriously 
and attentively considered. Forming motives as they do 
to conduct in the present life, they lie at the basis of all 
morals. 

7. "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from 
henceforth : yea, saith the spirit, that they may rest from 
their labours, and their works do follow them. "J 

8. The ample and positive benedictions of their heavenly 
father rest upon " the dead, who die in the Lord," from 
henceforth : — from the very moment of their dissolution, 
through all the coming ages of eternity. The supposition 
that the soul, when separated from the body, lapses into a 
quiescent state, is flatly contradicted in the holy scriptures. 
" To tiay" said Jesus Christ to the penitent thief, " shalt 
thou be with me in Paradise. "§ And said the apostle Paul, 
" I am in a straight betwixt two, having a desire to depart 
and to be with Christ, which is far better. || Nor is this po- 
sition less accordant with reason than it is with revelation. 
Why should the father of spirits permit the human mind, on 
being separated from the body, to sink into a state of quies- 
cence? How can that which is immaterial, immortal, and 

6. How is the doctrine of a future judgment represented in the scrip- 
ture? 

7. What is said of the reward of the righteous ? 

8. How is this illustrated ? 

* John 5 : 25, 28, 29. f Mat. 25 : 46. t Rev. 14 : 13. 
§ Luke 23:43. \\ Phil. 1:23. 

10* 



114 



A SYSTEM OP 



essentially conscious, pass into a state of non-existence? 
Why should a living being, reconciled to its creator, by the 
blood of Christ, and made a participant of "the blessings of 
the gospel of the grace of God," be thrown, for the lapse of 
ages, into a state of unconsciousness 1 Such a thing cannot 
be. It is alike repugnant to reason and to revelation. 
" Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from hence- 
forth: for they rest from their labours, and their works do 
follow them." 

9. The images, intended in the holy scriptures to illus- 
trate the nature of the christian's life in the present world, 
often represent it as a state of labour. " Strive" it is said, 
" to enter in at the straight gate : for many, I say unto you, 
will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." But the chris- 
tian's toil, severe and protracted as it often is, will not en- 
dure for ever. From the moment of his dissolution he will 
rest from his labours. Leaving far behind him the toils and 
sorrows of this transitory world, he will be admitted to the 
enjoyment of that repose, which time nor circumstance can 
ever affect. God will wipe away all tears from his eyes, and 
there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, 
neither shall there be any more pain : for the former things 
will have passed away, and all things become new.* 

1. Nor will he simply rest from his labours ; but his works 
will follow him. His history will unfold to his delighted 
eyes, a catalogue of works, sanctified by grace, and rendered 
acceptable to God by the merits of the cross. His piety, be- 
nevolence, and self-denial, will shine upon the records of 
eternity with infinitely greater splendour, than the brightest 
achievements of worldly men, though celebrated by the 

9. What images are used in scripture to represent the christian's life 
in the present world ? 

1. What privilege, besides resting from their labours, will the righ- 
teous enjoy in another life ? 

*Re7.21:4. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



115 



tongue of eloquence, or the pen of poetry. Precious will be 
the recollection of the fact, " that when the ear heard him, it 
blessed him ; because he delivered the poor that cried, and 
the fatherless, and him that had none to deliver him. That 
the blessing of him that was ready to perish, came upon him, 
and he caused the widow's heart to sing for joy — that he put 
on righteousness and it clothed him ; that his judgment was 
a robe and a diadem — that he was eyes to the blind, and feet 
was he to the lame; that he was a father to the poor, and 
the cause which he knew not he searched out."* 

2. And while the remembrance of obedience in the pre- 
sent life, will be to the christian in that which is to come, a 
source of the sweetest comfort, his works will follow him 
for another purpose. " By thy words," said Jesus Christ, 
" thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be con- 
demned.'^ The works of the true believer, summoned to 
the judgment seat, at the final audit, will be the evidence of 
his acquittal. " Well done thou good and faithful servant," 
will be the language of the judge, " thou hast been faithful 
over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things ; 
enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.":]: This will be the 
consummation of his hopes ; the realization of his highest 
wishes. To enter into the kingdom of his Lord ; to partici- 
pate the incorruptible inheritance of the saints in light ; to 
be admitted to the presence of him, where there is fulness 
of joy ; and to his right, where there are pleasures forever 
more — will be all — all that he can desire. 

3. Could we draw aside the curtain of mortality, and dis- 
close the circles of the just made perfect, around the throne 
of God, clad in robes of unspotted light, casting their crowns 

2. What other privilege will the righteous enjoy in another life ? 

3. What would be the effect of beholding the condition of the right- 
eous in another life ? 



* Job 23. f Mat. 12 : 37. t Mat. 25 : 21 . 



116 



A SYSTEM OF 



at Jehovah's feet, and sweeping with the sublimest touches 
their golden harps, in praise to him, who had loved them, 
and washed them in his own blood, and made them kings and 
priests to God and his father, we should exclaim — " verily, 
there is a reward for the righteous."* 

4. But while, in the language of an apostle, " eye hath 
not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart 
of man to conceive" the blessedness, reserved in heaven for 
the just; a far different destiny awaits the impenitent. 
" What," says Jesus Christ, " is a man profited, if he shall 
gain the whole world and lose his soul ?"f The answer is, 
he is not only not profited, but absolutely ruined. From the 
inability of the world to make us happy, on the one hand ; 
and the uncertain tenure by which we hold it on the other, it 
is evident the acquisition of its whole treasure would be in- 
finitely inadequate to compensate for the loss of the soul. 
This loss does not consist, as some imagine, simply, in the 
extinction of existence; but in its perpetuation, under cir- 
cumstances of suffering. To be annihilated at death, would, 
indeed, be a disaster, for the endurance of which, the posses- 
sion of the world, during the brief period of our existence, 
would be utterly insufficient to remunerate. But abhorrent 
to the human mind as annihilation is, it is infinitely less so 
than the loss of the soul. Be our disposition to fritter away 
the sanctions of the divine government what it may, it is a 
truth, clear as it is terrible, that the punishment of the finally 
impenitent will not be bounded by the limits of mortality, but 
will be commensurate with the being of him who made us. 
It is impossible, in consulting the holy scriptures upon this 
topic, not to perceive, in the clearest terms, the doctrine of 
eternal punishment. If this doctrine be not correct, the 
scriptures, of all writings, are the least definite and true. 



4. What destiny awaits the wicked in another world ? 

*Ps.58:lL t Mat 16: 26. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



117 



We must suppose, in this event, they were intended merely 
to stimulate the imagination, in the invention of fictitious sys- 
tems, instead of disclosing rules for the government of our 
faith and practice. But this supposition, controverting as it 
does the credit of divine revelation, must be rejected by every 
individual subscribing to the scriptures as the word of God. 

5. It is true, the doctrine of eternal punishment is highly 
repulsive to the carnal mind; and, perhaps, by the unassisted 
light of reason, can hardly be reconciled to the attributes of 
God. Still, however, it is a doctrine revealed in the holy 
scriptures, and claims, on that account, our unqualified belief. 
God having revealed to us all that is necessary to know, has 
annexed to this revelation the assurance that he that believeth 
not shall be damned.* The scriptures, as well as the light 
of reason, were designed to be our instructor; and it is in- 
cumbent on us to receive them with implicit confidence. In 
doing this it will be impossible to believe the loss of the hu- 
man soul implies either a limited duration of punishment, or 
its annihilation at death. We are told that in the resurrec- 
tion, " many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall 
awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and ever- 
lasting contempt, "f 

6. The loss of the soul implies — a banishment from the 
presence of him who made us — the reproaches of a guilty 
conscience — a rapid and unceasing progression in moral tur- 
pitude — the positive inflictions of divine justice — and absolute 
despair. 

7. St. Paul, in speaking of the punishment of the finally 
impenitent, says, " they shall be punished with everlasting 
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory 
of his power.J Nor is it possible for immortal spirits to de- 

5. Should we believe the doctrine of eternal punishment ? 

6. What is implied in the loss of the soul ? 

7. How is a banishment from the divine presence proved ? 

* Mark 16:16. f Dan. 12 : 2. t 2 Thes. 1 : 9, 



118 



A SYSTEM OF 



rive, from any circumstance, greater anguish than from this. 
God is to the moral world what the sun is to the natural. 
Were we excluded from the cheering influence of the latter, 
all would become to us dreariness and death. The softest 
climates and the most productive soils, suffering a privation 
of this description, would soon be converted into polar dark- 
ness and everlasting solitude. What, then, is the condition 
of immortal spirits, banished from the fountain of their being, 
to some distant and dreary world, where their aching eyes 
can never catch even a wandering ray of the divine glory? 
To know that God is the centre of all goodness ; that in his 
presence there is fulness of joy, and that at his right hand 
there are pleasures for evermore ; and that from this delight- 
ful scene they are forever excluded, cannot fail to produce 
unutterable woe. If an exilement from our native country 
is often deemed an occurrence as terrible as death, how much 
more intolerable must an exclusion from the father of spirits 
be? To be driven to the utmcst limits of creation; to be 
wrapped in darkness impervious to the light of heaven, and 
doomed to sustain the frowns and curses of him who gave 
them being, will be productive of a state of suffering, the 
severity of which transcends the power of language to de- 
scribe. 

8. To this will be added the reproaches of a guilty con- 
science. The lost will recollect the many and exalted privi- 
leges they had once enjoyed, and their criminal misimprove- 
ment of them all. The atonement of the son of God, the 
strivings of the holy spirit, the institutions of the christian 
church, and all the blessings of the present life, will appear 
like injured spectres, sternly demanding reparation for their 
wrongs. The reproaches of a guilty conscience, in the pre- 
sent life, are represented, in the word of God, by the gnaw- 
ings of a worm that never dies. And if the reality be like 
the image, nothing can be more dreadful. A rapacious 

8. What next is implied in the loss of the soul? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



119 



worm, gnawing upon the fibres of the heart, would soon 
produce a state of suffering beyond the endurance of mortal 
strength. But this, and more than this, is comprehended in 
the reproaches of a guilty conscience. A combination of 
sufferings can never exist in greater vividness than under the 
pressure of calamities which might have been avoided, but 
which were brought upon us by our own folly. It is this 
that turns the mortal arms of conscience upon itself, and 
gives a pungency to its recriminations, which none but dis- 
embodied spirits can endure. 

9. Besides the reproaches of a guilty conscience, the loss 
of the human soul implies a rapid and unceasing progression 
in moral turpitude. Bad as sinners in the present life may 
be, they are capable of becoming immeasurably worse in 
that which is to come. When banished from the presence of 
him who made them ; abandoned forever by the holy spirit, 
and surrounded by offenders of the deepest die, they will re 
cede from the standard of moral purity with a rapidity of 
which we now can form no conception. Human beings are 
prompted to the pursuit of virtue chiefly by the hope of hap- 
piness ; but when this hope becomes extinct, the power, and 
even the desire for improvement, will cease to operate. In 
this condition, all the propensities of their fallen nature will 
rage without control. Their bosom will be the seat of un- 
ceasing strife, occasioned by the conflict of unholy passions, 
each one striving for the victory, but no one succeeding in 
its effort ; and by the rage of these lawless elements, their 
subjects will contract deeper and yet deeper corruption in 
every successive stage of their interminable apostacy. 

1. And what can be more abhorrent to the reflecting mind 
than a degradation like this? Even in the present life, the 
existence and collision of unholy passions are often produc- 
tive of painful agitations ; but this is nothing, in comparison 

9. What next is implied in the loss of the soul ? 

1. What is the consequence of a progression in moral turpitude? 



120 



A SYSTEM OF 



with those tremendous paroxysms, which are produced by 
the conflict of passions, steeped in the corruption of unnum- 
bered ages. The simple thought of an interminable pro- 
gression in moral turpitude, is, to a virtuous mind, intensely 
shocking; but when this thought is connected, as it must be, 
with increasing suffering, it becomes intolerable. 

2. To this will be added the positive inflictions of divine 
justice. " If thy hand or thy foot offend thee, said Jesus 
Christ, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for 
thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than, having 
two hands or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire"* 
Speaking of him who had neglected to improve his talent, he 
represents his judge as saying, " Cast ye the unprofitable 
servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and 
gnashing of teeih"\ And he represents the rich man as 
saying, 44 Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send 
Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and 
cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this fame 

3. Nor can it be supposed that this description of the future 
sufferings of the impenitent contains the least exaggeration. 
It was given by him who possessed no disposition, unneces- 
sarily, to alarm his creatures — by him who is the faithful 
and true witness — the same yesterday, to-day, and forever. 

4. And to these ingredients of suffering, comprehended in 
the loss of the human soul, may be added despair. A cloud, 
unpenetrated by a single ray of hope, will hang forever upon 
the minds of the impenitent. To their aching eyes their suf- 
ferings will have no limits; but prospects of increasing sor- 
row will interminably stretch before. When, by the mightiest 
effort, they throw forward their imagination to the coming 

2. What next is implied in the loss of the soul? 

3. Is this description an exaggeration ? 

4. What next is implied in the loss of the soul? 



* Mat. 18:8. 



t lb. 25:30. 



X Luke 16:24. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



121 



ages of futurity, and extend their computation far beyond 
the grasp of human thought, instead of arriving at a limit, 
they will still find themselves upon the bosom of an ocean, 
which, rolling on its eternal surges, appears equally without 
a bottom or a shore. Were they cheered by the most dis- 
tant hope; did they anticipate deliverance after the lapse of 
as many millions of ages as there are atoms in the universe, 
they would find some alleviation; but, alas! the}' read upon 
the dark scroll of their revolting destiny a duration infinitely 
outstretching this. Should they, from the intensity of their 
sufferings, involuntarily exclaim, " When ! O, when ! shall 
these afflictions end? 3 ' the genius of despair, in tones de- 
structive to every hope, would reply, " Never, never, never !" 

5. Of all the ingredients of future punishment, despair 
seems to be the climax. Every thing besides may possibly 
admit of some alleviation. Even a banishment from him 
who made us — the reproaches of an angry and guilty con- 
science — a progression in moral turpitude — and the operation 
of consuming fire, may contain some mitigating circumstance ; 
some degree of punishment less than we could endure — but 
in despair there is none. It fills our cup to overflowing, and 
produces that intensity of suffering which is bounded only, 
by our capacity to endure. If hope deferred maketh the 
heart sick, what may. we not expect from its utter extinction ? 
This is the last and greatest punishment that can be inflicted 
on human beings. To feel that they have fallen to rise no 
more; that their prospects of future happiness are forever 
blasted — that henceforth, whatever may be the enjoyment 
of others, they must be the victims of punishment — consti- 
tute the severest affliction they can endure. This is, at 
once, the exhaustion of the last particle of consolation; the 
entire extinction of their final hopes; the perfect and com- 
plete destruction of all but the suffering of their souls. 

5. What is the climax of future punishment? 

11 



122 A SYSTEM OF 

From this analysis of human nature may be derived many 
important deductions in reference to our duty. Of those 
deductions we will avail ourselves in the following book. 



BOOK III. 



Of the several duties which v)e owe to God, to our fellow 
creatures, and to ourselves. 

1. From the fact that man is rewardable and punishable 
in another world, for his conduct in the present, the question 
arises, " what actions are rewardable, and what are punish- 
able?" To solve the question, reference must be made to 
the intentions and character of his sovereign. 

2. In looking at the works of God, in reference to human 
beings, we discover goodness, in the brightest colours, stamped 
upon them all. The intention of the Almighty to promote 
the well-being of his sentient creatures is apparent, not only 
in the arrangement of a few circumstances, but in the whole 
economy of nature. The more profoundly and philosophi- 
cally we inquire into the phenomena and laws of the uni- 
verse, the more thoroughly we shall be convinced of the cor- 
rectness of this • statement. The physico-theological re- 
searches of learned men, have thrown open to our view a 
boundless and brilliant field of useful and consoling know- 
ledge. " Is there," says Dr. Prout, " a human being who 
can witness the splendid colouring of the atmosphere above 
him by the setting sun ; who can witness the beauty and end- 
less variety of tint displayed by every object of the landscape 
around him, down to the minutest insect, or flower, or pebble 
at his feet; who is conscious of the pleasure he derives from 

1. What arises from the fact that man is rewardable and punishable in 
another world ? 

2. What do we discover in the works of God ? 



124 



A SYSTEM OF 



these objects, and who reflects that this pleasure was not ne- 
cessary to his existence,' and might have been withheld? Is 
there, we ask, a human being who duly considers all these 
things, and "who will dare to assert that the being who made 
them all is not benevolent V m 

3. Upon this, and upon every other subject of the kind, 
the declarations of the holy scriptures are entirely consistent 
with the indications of nature. The Almighty proclaimed 
himself to Moses — " The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and 
gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 
keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgres- 
sion and sin."f The psalmist declares that God " is good 
to all, and that his tender mercies are over all his works.":): 
And St. John emphatically asserts that " God is love."§ 

4. From the character and disposition of God, as indicated 
by the works of nature and of grace, we infer tjhat those ac- 
tions which are prompted by proper motives, and which tend 
to the promotion of human happiness, are agreeable to his 
will, and therefore rewardable ; and that those actions, which 
are in contravention to this end, are repugnant to his will, 
and consequently punishable. 

5. Confirmatory of this conclusion is the whole history of 
man. Malevolent actions have alway&'tended to the misery 
of their perpetrators, and benevolent ones to the happiness of 
their performers. Rewards and punishments, in this respect, 
are not an arbitrary arrangement even of the divine being; 
but are founded upon the fitness of things resulting from the 
organization of the universe. The exercise of benevolence, 
according to the present order of things, as naturally tends 

• to the happiness, and that of malevolence, to the misery of 

3. Do the works of nature and the word of God agree in represent- 
ing the character and dispositions of the divine being as benign? 

4. What do we infer from the character and dispositions of God? 

5. What is confirmatory of this conclusion? 
*BridgewaterTreatise,p.l42. t Ex. 34:6,7. tPs. 145:9. §Uohn4:8. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



125 



human beings, as a stone does to the centre, or free caloric 
to combustion. This law as essentially belongs to the moral 
world, as gravity does to the natural. Both principles are 
the ordinations of Deity, and are carried into effect for the 
preservation and government of the world. While nature 
lasts, and God retains dominion over the creatures of his own 
hands, benevolence will be rewarded, and malevolence pun- 
ished. This rule, to which the divine being is impelled by 
his own nature to conform, is the grand conservatory prin- 
ciple of the universe. " All the law," saith an apostle, " is 
fulfilled in one word, namely, in love." # 

6. Benevolence, or a desire to promote the best interests 
of the universe, being the substance of human duties, we 
will proceed to consider its several modifications. These, 
for the sake of order, may be ranged under the following 
heads, namely, those which regard God — those which refer 
to our fellow creatures — and those which relate to ourselves. 

CHAPTER I. 

Of the duties which we owe to God, 

7. The duties which we owe to God may be divided into 
internal and external. 

8. The internal duties comprehend- — investigation of his 
will — belief of his existence and the verity of his word — re- 
pentance for past sins— and acquiescence in his providence 
and -laws. 

9. The investigation of the will of God is a duty of the 
first importance; because the accomplishment of every other 

6. What from these preliminaries shall we proceed to consider? 

7. How may the duties which we owe to God be divided? 

8. What do the internal duties comprehend? 

9. Why is investigating the will of God a duty of the first importance ? 



* Gal. 5:14. 
11* 



126 



A SYSTEM OF 



duty depends upon the performance of this. The ascertain- 
ment of the nature and extent of any obligation will be im- 
possible while we are ignorant of the will of God concerning 
it. Hence the requirement, " ye shall know that I am the 
Lord your God" is more frequently repeated in the holy 
scriptures, than almost any other. 

1. Indicative of the obligation to investigate the will of 
God, he, in the organization of human nature, implanted in 
it a desire to perform the duty. To ascertain the origin and 
destination of man is an object of universal solicitude. From 
ihe dawn of reason to the approach of death this feeling 
seems to be an active and controlling quality. It is among 
the first that begins to operate, and will, certainly, be the last 
that will cease to exist. 

2. Nor has God failed to furnish faculties for the gratifica- 
tion of this desire. By the judicious direction of our mental 
powers we may obtain, upon this point, the fullest satisfaction. 
Taking the light of nature and of revelation for our guide, 
we may learn all that our present, or future interest requires 
us to know. " The path of the just is like the shining light, 
which shineth brighter and brighter unto the perfect day." 

3 The performance of this duty, like that of every other, 
contributes greatly to our happiness. The stupendous be- 
nignity of the will of God concerning us, more than any 
other subject, is calculated to gratify our feelings. It pre- 
sents to us views of light, and themes of meditation, in com- 
parison with which, every other topic dwindles into nothing. 
All that is exalting and gratifying to the intellect ; all that is 
consolatory and cheering to the heart ; and all that is adorn- 

1. Which is the second argument to prove that we are bound to inves- 
tigate the will of God? 

2. Which is the third argument to prove we are bound to investigate 
the will of God ? 

3. Which is the fourth argument to prove we are bound to investigate 
the will of God? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



127 



ing and ennobling to the conduct, are developed in the pur- 
poses of God in the grandest and purest forms. 

4. The second internal duty which we owe to God, is be- 
lief of his existence and his word. 

5. This existence implies all the attributes of deity ; or in 
other words, his eternity, self-existence, independence, om- 
nipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, unchangeableness, and 
goodness. 

6. The eternity of God follows from the fact that some 
things now exist, which did not always exist. As nothing 
could not have created something, the first cause of things 
must be eternal. Extended as may be the line of the se- 
condary causes of creation, there is, inevitably, a beginning 
of the series ; and to account for this beginning, we are 
compelled to have recourse to an eternal cause. The move- 
ment of the smallest particle in creation, implies a cause, 
and that cause, traced to its origin, must be from everlasting. 
Accordingly, the scriptures, in the fullest terms, ascribe to 
God the attribute of eternity. " The eternal God is thy re- 
fuge," said Moses, " and underneath are the everlasting 
arms."* " Before the mountains were brought forth," said 
David, " or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, 
even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God."f 

7. If God is eternal, he is self existent. Eternal existence 
implies being before creation; and that which was before 
creation, must be uncreated ; and that which is not created 
must possess being in itself. Expressive of this attribute, 
said God to Moses, say unto the children of Israel, "lam 
hath sent me."J And St. John tells us he heard, in heaven, 

4. Which is the second internal duty that we owe to God ? 

5. What does the divine existence imply ? 

6. How is the eternity of God proved ? 

7. Kow is the self-existence Of God proved ? 

* Deut. 33 : 27. + Ps. 90:2. t Exo. 3:14. 



128 



A SYSTEM OF 



a great voice, as a trumpet, saying, " I am alpha and 
omega, the first and the last."* 

■ 8. God being self-existent, is necessarily independent. 
Having existed before all things, and possessing being in 
himself, he is not dependent on any thing. A cause cannot 
be dependent on effects produced by its own power; and if 
the primary cause is not dependent on effects produced by its 
own power, it is independent : for besides effects of this de- 
scription there is nothing but itself. The psalmist says, " I 
know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all 
Gods. Whatsoever the Lord pleaseth, that did he in heaven, 
and in earth, in the seas, and in all deep places. And God 
himself declares, " I am the first, and I am the last ; and be- 
sides me there is no God. "J 

9. From the independence of the Deity, his omnipotence 
necessarily follows. Independence implies the highest pos- 
sible degree of power. The power of created agents inevi- 
tably depends upon the will of their creator; but if Goo^is 
independent, he possesses a power superior to that of created 
agents; and consequently the highest possible degree of 
power. Independence, strictly speaking, implies a power 
not only superior to that of created agents, but absolute om- 
nipotence. An independent being only can be the creator of 
all things ; and the creator of all things must be the source 
of all power ; and this source must necessarily be omnipo- 
tent. Accordingly, God said to Abraham, u I am the Al- 
mighty God: walk before me and be thou perfect. "§ And 
the four beasts which are before the throne continually ac- 
claim, " Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was. 
and is, and is to come. 55 || 

1. God being omnipotent, is necessarily omnipresent. Om- 

8. How is the independence of God proved? 

9. How is the omnipotence of God proved? 
1. How is the omnipresence of God proved? 

* Rev. 1:10, 11. tPs,135:5,6. X Is. 44: 6. § Gen. 17:1. ||Rev.4: 8. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



129 



nipotenee implies power to do every thing ; and if God has 
power to do every thing, he must be every where present. 
Where there is no presence there can be no agency. Ex- 
tended as may be the actions of secondary agents, the energy 
of the primary one continues to the end of the series; pro- 
ducing the action of the last, no less really than that of the 
first. The use of intervening agents is merely to perpetuate 
the presence of the primary one. No agent has power to do 
every thing, unless it is every where present ; but as God 
possesses power to do every thing, he is consequently omni- 
present 

2. From the necessity " of an eternal existence, the same 
inference inevitably follows. If God necessarily exists in 
any place, he must exist in every place. There is no reason 
why the existence of the Divine Being is more essential in one 
portion of the universe, than it is in every portion. The ne- 
cessity of his being any where, proves that -he is every where. 
Hence says the psalmist, "Whither shall I go from thy 
spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I as- 
cend up into heaven, thou art there ; if I make my bed in 
hell, behold thou art there. If I take the wings of the morn- 
ing, and dwell in the uttermost part of the sea; even there 
shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 
If I say surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night 
shall be light about me."* And God himself saith, " Do 
not I fill heaven and earth. "f 

3. If God be omnipresent, he is also omniscient. Being 
every where present, to him every thing must be known. 
Sustaining, directing, and controlling every atom of the uni- 
verse as he does, nothing can escape his knowledge. " He 
that planted the ear shall he not hear ? he that formed the 

2. Which is the second argument to prove the omnipresence of God ? 

3. How is the omniscience of God proved ? 



*Ps. 139:7—11. 



t Jer. 23 : 24. 



130 



A SYSTEM OP 



eye, shall he not see?"* "Known unto God are all his 
works from the beginnino; of the world. "t " Neither is there 
any creature that is not manifest in his sight ; but all things 
are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have 
to do.":): 

4. God being omniscient, he is necessarily unchangeable. 
Infinitely acquainted as he is with every thing, he can fall 
into no error; and if he falls into no error, there can be no 
change. " I am the Lord," saith he, " I change not."§ And 
saith an apostle, "Thou Lord, in the beginning hast laid the 
foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of 
thine hands : they shall perish, but thou remainest ; and they 
ail shall wax old, as doth a garment ; and as a vesture thou 
shalt fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art 
the same, and thy years shall not fail."|| 

5. Such being the natural attributes of deity, he is neces- 
sarily good. Hi's wisdom secures him from all error; his 
power from all weakness ; and his steadfastness from all 
change. Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things 
are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are 
pure, whatsoever things are lovely, and whatsoever things 
are of good report" meet in the divine character, in infinite 
plenitude.H " Unto thee, O Lord," saith the psalmist, " do 
I lift up my soul. For thou art good, and ready to forgive, 
and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee." ## 

6. But while God is good to all, and his tender mercies are 
over all his works, he is pre-eminently good to man. From 
the moment of his birth down to the period # of his life, he is, 
in the economy of nature, provided with exhaustless comforts. 
While the food on which he lives imparts to him nourishment 

4. How is the unchangeableness of God proved ? 

5. How is the goodness of God "proved? 

6. How is the goodness of God to man proved ? 

*Ps.94:9. f Acts 15:18. JHeb.4:13. § Mai. 3:6. H Heb. 1 : 10—11. 
T Phil. 4: 8. ** Ps. 86:5. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



131 



and strength, it ministers, in a high degree, to his happiness. 
The air with which he is surrounded is so adapted to his na- 
ture, that while it cheers and delights his spirits, it sooths and 
gratifies his feelings. The objects that are destined to meet 
his eye, the sounds that fall upon his ear, and. the odours that 
reach his smell, are not unfrequently productive of the sweet- 
est pleasure. All his senses, in their turn, revel in luxuries 
of the richest kind. Nor are his mental powers without en- 
joyment. Objects intended to exercise and strengthen his 
intellect ; to warm and delight his fancy; to cheer and purify 
his heart; to elicit and ennoble his affections, are daily brought 
within his view. Even his afflictions are auxiliary to his in- 
terests. By exciting the* sympathy of those around him ; 
subduing the exuberance of his own feelings ; and teaching 
him his dependence upon his heavenly benefactor, they prove 
to be rich and enduring benefits. Who, in the view of these 
things, does not exclaim with Paul, " O the depth of the 
riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God ! how 
unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding 
out!" 

7. The divine existence comprehends the subsistence of 
three persons in one essence. 

8. The unity of the divine nature is not only corroborated 
by the whole phenomena of the universe, but is positively 
asserted in the holy scriptures. "Among the gods," saith 
the psalmist, there is none like unto thee, O Lord."* God 
himself saith, "I am God, and there is none else; I am 
God, and there is none like me."f The first of the com- 
mandments is, " Hear, O Israel ; the Lord our God is one 
Lord."% 

9. While the unity of the divine essence is positively as- 

7. "What else does the divine existence imply ? 

8. How is the unity of the divine nature proved ? 

9. How is the plurality of persons in the godhead proved ? 

* Ps. 86:8. t Is. 46:9. t Deut. 6:4. 



132 



A SYSTEM OF 



serted in the holy scriptures, the subsistence of a plurality 
of persons in this essence is stated with equal clearness. 
" God said let us make man in our image, after our like- 
ness.*'* w Behold the man is become as one of us, to know 
good and evil."f " Let us go down, and there confound 
their language, that they may not understand one another's 
speech.":): 

1. The phrase " Bara Elohim," " the God's created" 
occurs more than thirty times in the §hort history of the 
creation. Nor is there, scarcely, a single form of speech, 
by which we might infer" a plurality of persons in the god- 
head, that is not used, either by Moses in the Pentateuch, or 
by the other inspired writers in the Old Testament. A plural 
noun is joined to a singular verb : as, " the Gods created the 
heavens and the earth." A plural noun is joined to a plural 
verb : as, " the Gods appeared, unto Jacob." A plural sub- 
stantive is joined to a plural adjective : as, " ye cannot serve 
the Lord, for he is the holy Gods" And to these passages 
may be added the phrase, "Jehovah Elohim," "the Lord 
Gods" which occurs at least one hundred times in the law 
of Moses. § 

2. As the scriptures of the Old Testament represent a plu- 
rality of persons in the divine essence, so the writings of the 
New limit this plurality to three. 

3. " Go ye," said Jesus Christ, to his apostles, " and teach 
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and 
of the son, and of the holy ghost "\[ 

4. The gospel being a covenant between God and man, 
baptism is the ordinance by which it is ratified. This ordin- 

1. What phrase, in proof of this point, frequently occurs? 

2. In what part of the scriptures is this plurality limited to three ? 

3. How is this proved ? 

4. What inference is drawn fiom this authority? 

* Gen. 1:26. t Ib3:22. % lb. 11:7. 

§ See Tomlin's Theology, and the Hebrew Bible. {) Mat. 28, 19. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



133 



ance being a matter of divine appointment, is, of course, 
administered in the name of God ; and Christ having directed 
it to be administered in the name of the Father, and of the 
son, and of the holy ghost, the conclusion is, each one is 
God. The supposition that the son, and the holy ghost, are* 
merely operations or qualities of the Father, imputes unwar- 
ranted tautology to- Jesus Christ, even in the institution of 
baptism. The word Father comprehending all the qualities 
and operations of his nature, it was unnecessary, after using 
that term, to add others, meaning only the same thing. Nor 
is the supposition that the son, and the holy ghost, are crea- 
tures, less objectionable* The uniting of created beings with 
the infinite and eternal Father, in the solemn and interesting 
ordinance of baptism, without the slightest intimation of a 
disparity existing between those persons, is, indeed, too mon- 
strous to be credited a single moment. The inference then 
is, that the Father, and the son, and the holy ghost, are in- 
dividual, or distinct persons in- the godhead. 

5. Corroborative of this deduction is the doxology, at the 
end of St. Paul's 2nd Epistle to the Corinthians. " The 
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and 
the communion of the holy ghost, be with you all." In 
this passage the individuality, personality, and equality of 
the Father, son, and holy ghost, are expressed in the plainest 
terms. If they are not distinct, why are they separately 
enumerated? If they are not persons, why are they invoked 
to perform actions which persons only are competent to ef- 
fect ? And if they are not equal, why is not their disparity 
pointed out? 

6. The salutation of St, John is another proof of the 
same kind. " Grace and peace," said he, " from him which 
is, and which was, and which is to come : and from the 
seven spirits which are before his throne, and from Jesus 

5. What is corroborative of this inference ? 

6. What other proof have we of the same kind? 

12 



134 



A SYSTEM OF 



Christ."* The father is here alluded to by terms denoting 
his eternity ; the holy ghost, by an expression indicating the 
variety of his gifts, and Jesus Christ by his proper name. — 
From the fact that these persons are jointly, and without dis- 
crimination in respect to equality, the objects of apostolical 
invocation, the inference fairly is they are equally the su- 
preme and eternal God. Scarcely is a single doctrine, ex- 
hibited in the writings of the new Testament, with greater 
perspicuity than the individuality and equality of the Father, 
son, and holy ghost. " There are three," saith the apostle 
John, "that bear record in heaven, the Father, the son, and 
the holy ghost, and these three are one."f 

7. In the baptism of the saviour we have an exemplifica- 
. tion of the same fact. We behold the son ascending the 

banks of Jordan, see the spirit descending on him like a 
dove, and hear'a voice from heaven, saying, " This is my 
beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.":]: 

8. The acts of personality attributed to Jesus Christ and 
the holy ghost, are also demonstrative of their individuality. 
" I will pray the Father," said the redeemer, " and he shall 
give you another comforter, that he may abide with you for- 
ever, even the spirit of truth."§ The affirmation that a 
quality or operation of the divine nature will pray, is, to 
say the least, a strange mode of expression. But the son 
not only says he will pray, but that he will pray to the 
Father ; and if the Father is not distinct from the son, this 
mode of expression is still stranger. Jf, in every sense, they 
are the same, the act, alluded to by the saviour, is a prayer 
to himself. But that any being, whether human or divine, 
would present a petition to himself, is a supposition repug- 

7. What have we in the baptism of the saviour ? 

8. What do the acts attributed to Jesus Christ and the holy ghost 
prove? 



* Rev. 1:4, 5. t 1 John 5:7. X Mat. 3:16, 17. § John 14:16, 17 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



135 



nant to common sense. Nor does the son only say he will 
pray to the Father, but that the Father shall give them an- 
other comforter, that he may abide with them forever. But 
will the Father give, or, as if is often expressed, send him- 
self? Such language, surely, can never be attributed to 
him, of whom his enemies, even, said, " Never man spake 
like this man." 

9. Expressions, distinctly recognizing the individuality of 
the Father, son, and holy ghost, occur frequently in the wri- 
tings of inspiration. St. John tells us, that " God so loved 
the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever 
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."* 
And St. Paul declares that, " through Christ, we both have 
access by $ne spirit to the Father."f And a more distinct 
expression of the individuality of the blessed trinity is scarcely 
possible. 

1. But the scriptures not only represent a trinity of persons 
in the godhead, but ascribe to each person an essential equal- 
ity. The same names ; the same attributes ; the same ac- 
tions ; and the same honours, that are ascribed to one, are 
equally ascribed to all. Jesus Christ is called God—" In 
the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, 
and the word was God"% So also is the holy ghost — 
" Why," said Peter to Ananias, " hath satan filled thine 
heart to lie to the holy ghost, and to keep back part of the 
price of the land? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto 
God."§ And St. Paul says, " The temple of God is holy, 
which temple ye are, and your bodies are the temple of the 
holy ghost."\\ 

9. What expressions prove the individuality of the Father, son, and 
holy ghost? 

1. What else do the scriptures ascribe to the Father, son, and holy 
ghost? 

* John 3: 16. f Eph. 2:18. % John 1:1. $ Acts 5:3, 4. 
II 1 Cor. 3:16, 17. 



136 



A SYSTEM OF 



2. The inspired writers not only apply the same names to 
each individual of the trinity, but apply to each individual 
the 'perfections of the Deity. Jesus Christ is said to be 
eternal — " Before Abraham was, 1 am ;"* to be omnipotent 
— " All power is given me in heaven and in earth ;"f to be 
omnipresent — " Where two or three are gathered together in 
my name, there am I in the midst of them to be omniscient 
— " He knew all men, and needed not that any should testify 
of man : for he knew what is in man ;"§ to be unchangeable 
— " Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, and for- 
ever."\\ Nor are these attributes ascribed only to the Father 
and the son, but likewise to the holy ghost. He is said to 
" search all things, yea, the deep things of God /"IF to be 
every where present — " Whither," said the psalmist, " shall 
I go from thy spirit ? or whither shall I flee from thy pre- 
sence ? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there ; if I make 
my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings 
of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 
even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall 
hold me. If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me ; even 
the night shall be light about me;" ## and he is said to " pro- 
ceed from the Father"^ and to be the spirit of God.^t 

3. As the same names and the same attributes ascribed to 
the Father, are equally ascribed to the son, and the holy 
ghost, so are the same actions. " Know ye," saith the 
psalmist, " that the Lord he is God : it is he that hath made 
us, and not we ourselves. "§§ " By Jesus Christ," saith an 
apostle, " were all things created."\\\\ And Job saith, " The 

2. What else do the scriptures apply to the Father, son, and holy 
ghost? 

3. - What else do the scriptures apply to the Father, son, and holy 
ghost ? 

* John 8:58. f Mat. 28: 18. Hb. 18:20. § John 2: 24. 
|] Heb. 13 ; 8. IF 1 Cor. 2 : 10. ** Ps. 139 : 7—12. ft John 15 : 26. 
tt Mat. 3 : 16. Ps. 100: 3. Ml Eph. 3:9. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



137 



spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty 
hath given me life"* " A*s the Father hath raised up the 
dead, and quicleeneth them ; even so the son qpickeneth whom 
he will;"t " and it is the spirit that quickeneth."$ " There 
are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit. And there are 
differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And 
there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God, 
which worketh all in all."§ 

4. And while the same actions are equally ascribed to each 
person in the trinity, the same worship is rendered to them 
all. We are baptized equally in the name of the Father, 
and the son, and the holy ghost ;|| and St. Paul prays that 
64 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, 
and the communion of the holy ghost, may be with us all. "IT 
And St. John, addressing the seven churches which are in 
Asia, said, " Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which 
is, and which was, and which is to come ; and from the seven 
spirits which are before his throne ; and from Jesus Christ, 
who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the 
dead."** 

5. The divine existence, then, comprehends the attributes 
of eternity, self-existence, independence, omnipotence, omni- 
presence, omniscience, immutability, and goodness ; and in 
this existence subsists " The Father, and the son, and the 
holy ghost." The son is God, but so only in connexion with 
the Father and the holy gliost ; and the holy ghost is God, 
but so only in connexion with the Father and the son ; and 
these three, though one in essence, are distinct in persons. ' 

6. In the council of divine wisdom, for the redemption of 

4. What else do the scriptures apply to the Father, son, and holy ghost? 

5. What is the substance of the doctrine of the divine existence? 

6. What offices have the son and the holy ghost assumed? 

* Job. 33:4. t John 5:21. * John 6 : 63. § 1 Cor. 12 : 4—6. H Mat- 
thew 28:19. V 2 Cor. 13: 14. *# Rev. 1:4, 5. 
12* 



138 



A SYSTEM OF 



the world, the son assumed the offices of prophet, priest, 
and king ; and the holy ghost that of the comforter and sanc- 
tifier of all whq believe in Christ. 

7. We are under obligations to believe the divine exist- 
ence, first, because it is true ; second, this belief is the only 
appointed instrument of our justification ; third, it is the 
germ or principle of all virtue ; fourth, it imparts to us a 
salutary influence ; and fifth, it is required in the scriptures. 

8. That we are under obligations to believe the existence 
of the divine being is evident from the fact that his existence 
is true. Obligations, we have said, are reasons; and noth- 
ing, surely, can be more reasonable than to believe truth ; 
especially when that truth is presented in a strong light. Of 
the correctness of this statement there can be no doubt. It 
bears upon its very front the brightness of a primary prin- 
ciple. 

9. Nor are its collateral circumstances unworthy of notice. 
The human mind, in its natural organization, is adapted to 
the performance of this action ; and the interest and happi- 
ness of mankind depend on its accomplishment. In refusing 
to believe truth we rebel against the constitution and laws of 
our nature; set at defiance the fundamental principles of the 
divine government ; erect an insuperable barrier to our own 
happiness ; and act in contravention to the interests of the 
world. 

1. A belief in the divine existence is the only instrument of 
our justification in the sight of God. " Being justified by faith," 
saith the apostle Paul, " we have peace with God through 
our Lord Jesus Christ."* 

7. Are we under obligations to believe the divine existence? 

8. What is the first reason for believing the divine existence ? 

9. What is the second reason for believing the divine existence? 
1. What is the third reason for believing the divine existence? 



*Rom. 5:1. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 139 

2. That every human being, responsible to his Creator for 
his conduct, has rendered himself guilty by wicked works, 
is a position too evident to be denied. Where, we ask, is 
the individual who never departed from the law of his own 
nature? Who has met, in all his transactions, the approba- 
tion of his conscience? Who can say, from my youth up, I 
have conformed, in every instance, to all the relations and 
adaptations of my being? Alas! such a human creature 
does not exist. " There is none righteous," saith an apostle, 
" no, not one."* 

3. How then, it may be asked, shall man be justified with 
God? 

4. In attempting to solve this question many have sup- 
posed that justification before God is obtained by good works. 
This, however, is not true. Not only are oi^r supposedly 
good works inadequate to atone for past delinquencies; but 
they are, in themselves, the cause of guilt. There is, in our 
best performances, so great a want of perfectness; such a 
mixture of impurity ; such a dereliction from the standard of 
natural and christian rectitude^ that a reliance on their expi- 
atory efficacy is wholly without reason. 

5. Even, however, in the supposition that our good works 
are perfect, they cannot atone for past sips. In doing all we 
can do, we do no more than our 'present duty ; and, conse- 
quently, the amount of past delinquencies is yet uncancelled. 
Should an individual, who had long lived in the performance 
of his social duties, in some unguarded moment, yielding to 
the propensities of his fallen nature, commit felony; should 
he be arrested, arraigned, and put upon his trial, his overt 
act proved, and he pronounced guilty ; it would be in vain for 

2. How is the guilt of human beings proved ? 

3. What question arises from these premises? 

4. How is this question attempted to be solved by some ? 

5. Can good works atone for past sins ? 

* Rom. 3:10. 



140 



A SYSTEM OF 



him to plead the innocence of his past life ; to say that since 
the fatal deed, he has been blameless, and that henceforth he 
intends to live without offence. He is pronounced guilty by 
his country's laws. The damning charge is fixed upon his 
conscience and his character, and all that he ever* did, or can 
do, is not sufficient to blot it out. This, precisely, is our 
case. " We have all sinned and come short of the glory of 
God ;"* " and by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be jus- 
tified.'^ 

6. Convinced of the impossibility of obtaining justifica- 
tion by the merit of good works, many seek it conjointly in 
the grace of God, and the performance of moral duties. Be- 
lieving that God is merciful, they hope that after doing all 
they can do, he will do the rest; that notwithstanding the 
imperfectnese of their past obedience, he will, considering the 
sincerity of their intentions, not be strict to mark their ini- 
quities; but that, in the plenitude of goodness, he will blot 
them out. Against this system of compromise, however, 
St. Paul directs his most powerful reprehensions. " If," 
says he, " salvation be of grace,- then it is no more of works ; 
otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, 
then it is no more grace ; otherwise work is no more work. "J 

7. " How, the'n, the question recurs, can man be justified 
w r ith God ? St. Paul answers, " a man is justified by faith 
and not by works. "§ u That~by grace we are saved through 
faith ; and that not of ourselves ; it is the gift of God."|| 
And saiththe protestant episcopal church, " We are accounted 
righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ by faith ; and not for our own works 
or deservings. Wherefore that we are justified by faith only, 
is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort. 

6. How is justification sometimes sought? 

7. What then recurs ? 

* Rom. 3 : 23. f Rom. 3 : 20. } Rom. 11:6. § Rom. 3 : 28. [| Eph. 2 : 8. 
^ 11 Art. of religion. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY « 



141 



8. Faith, divested of the meretricious circumstances 
thrown around it by human ingenuity, consists, simply, in a 
firm, vigorous, and operative, belief of what God is, and what 
he has done for us ; or in other words, of his existence, and 
determinations in regard to our race. Illustrative of the na- 
ture and progress of this principle St. Paul exclaimed, " O 
wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body 
of death?" and then adds, "I thank God through Jesus 
Christ our Lord." He here indicated, in the first instance, 
his feelings, arising from a conviction of his guilt and con- 
demnation ; and then, his gratitude and joy, in relying upon 
the riches of divine mercy in Christ Jesus. And these, pre- 
cisely, are the feelings of every individual in believing with 
a heart unto righteousness. Under a conviction of his expo- 
sure to* the terrors of divine wrath ; of his utter inability to 
save himself ; and of the infinite sufficiency of Jesus Christ, 
to save to the uttermost all who come to him by faith, he 
confides in him alone for the fulfilment of the law's demand, 
and exercises in his promises that affiance which is the ;i sub- 
stance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not 
seen." In virtue of this act he is justified from all things, 
from which he could .not be justified by the law of Moses, 
or by the law of nature. God, of his mere mercy , pardons 
his past sins, and restores him to his favour, in consequence 
of having believed the truth as it is in Christ. 

9. We are bound to believe in the divine existence, because 
the belief of this fact is the germ or principle of all virtue. 
Every effect must have an adequate cause. Virtue is no more 
accidental than repulsion, attraction, or any other phenome- 
non of nature. It proceeds naturally from faith. " As a 
man believes so is he." If he believes there is no God, he 
will act accordingly ; if he believes in the divine existence, 
as stated in the holy scriptures, he will exemplify in his life 

8. What is faith ? 

9. What is the fourth reason for believing in the divine existence ? 



142 



A SYSTEM OP 



and conversation, the precepts of the Bible. Whatever may 
be our faith, our conduct will be governed by it. Works 
are the natural and necessary results of faith. " Albeit that 
good works, which are the fruits of faith, and follow after 
justification, cannot put away our sins, and endure the seve- 
rity of God's judgment ; yet are they pleasing and acceptable 
to God in Christ, and do spring out necessarily of a true and 
lively faith, insomuch that by them a lively faith may be as 
evidently known as a tree discerned by the fruits."* " And 
by their fruits," says Jesus Christ, " shall ye know them."t 

1. We are also bound to believe in the divine existence, 
because the belief of this truth will impart to us a salutary 
influence. That mind acts upon mind and produces an as- 
similating process, are facts known to every one. No indi- 
vidual can long associate with others without imparting to 
them some mental or moral power. Sympathy is as common 
in the moral world, as attraction is in the natural. The pos- 
session, therefore, of a sound faith will naturally impart to 
us a wholesome influence. 

2. Nor do human beings act upon one another only by 
sympathy, but also by example. If a sound faith is produc- 
tive of good works, it will not fail to produce actions worthy 
of imitation; and the exhibition of those actions will induce, 
at least, some to copy them. It is hence said, " Let your 
light so shine before men that they may see your good works, 
and glorify your Father who is in heaven.":): 

3. We are obliged also to believe in the divine existence 
because we are required to do so in the holy scriptures. 
" Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established ; 
believe in his prophets, so shall ye prosper. "§ " Ye are my 

1. What is the fifth reason for believing in the divine existence? 

2. In what other respect does mind act on mind ? 

3. What is the sixth reason for believing in the divine existence? 

* 12 Art. of religion P. E. C. f Mat 7 : 20. I Mat. 5:16. § 2 Chron. 

20:20. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



143 



witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servants whom I have 
chosen ; that ye may know and believe me, and understand 
that I am he.' 5 * And said Jesus Christ, " He that believeth 
and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall 
be damned, "f " Ye believe in God,' believe also in me. "J 

4. And if we are under obligations to believe the divine 
existence, we, for nearly the same reasons, are bound to be- 
lieve his word. The scriptures are emphatically a manifes- 
tation of the Divine Being : " The brightness of the ever- 
lasting light, the unspotted mirror of the power of God, and 
the image of his goodness. 5 ' The belief of them is indis- 
pensable to the regulation of our faith and practice; to the 
production of present peace, and future happiness; and is 
absolutely required. 

5. The third internal duty that we owe to God is repent- 
ance for past sins. 

6. This duty, properly speaking, comprehends three 
things : first, a conviction of sin ; secondly, a sorrow for it ; 
and thirdly, a forsaking it. 

7. In the possession of that repentance that need not be 
repented of, we perceive alike the turpitude of our nature, 
and the enormity of our transgressions* The searching light 
of heaven has disclosed to us the sad reality that our whole 
head is sick, our whole heart faint ; that from the sole of the 
foot even unto the head there is no soundness in us; but 
wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores, that have not 
been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. 

8. This conviction of sin naturally produces a sorrow for 

4. Are we bound to believe the word of God ? 

5. Which is the third internal duty that we owe to God ? 

6. What does this duty comprehend ? 

7. What does a conviction of sin imply ? 

8. What does a conviction of sin produce ? 

* Is. 43 : 10. t Mark 16: 16. . X John 14: 1. 



144 



A SYSTEM OF 



it. " I am weary," said repentant David, " of my groaning ; 
all the night make I my bed to swim : I water my couch 
with my tears. Mine eye is consumed of grief."* This 
sorrow, however, is not simply a mental anguish arising from 
a knowledge that we are exposed to present or future pun- 
ishment ; but a tender and filial grief for having sinned 
against the most endearing goodness, and offended the best 
of friends : an affectionate and child-like penitence, growing 
out of a conviction that we have dishonoured God, for whose 
dignity we should have a tender and paramount concern. 

9. In the possession of true repentance we shall forsake 
sin: shall abandon not only our grosser crimes; but every 
thing forbidden in the law of God. Convinced that if we 
attempt to cover our sins we shall not prosper; but that if 
we confess and forsake them we shall find mercy ; we are 
as anxious to detect and renounce the things forbidden in the 
scriptures, as we once had been to conceal them. 

1. The genuineness of repentance can be ascertained only 
by the condition of our minds. It is not terror ; it is not the 
violence of sorrow ; it is not even a change in our conduct, 
that proves the sincerity of penitence ; — but an abhorrence 
of all sin — a hungering and thirsting for all goodness — a 
fixed determination to walk in all the ordinances and com- 
mandments of the Lord blameless, arising from a radical 
change of our affections, our tastes, and our dispositions, ef- 
fected by the power of divine grace. 

2. The reasons for repentance before God arise from the 
facts that we are sinners in his sight — that we are infinitely 
dependent on him for all that we now enjoy, or ever can en- 
joy — and that repentance, in the covenant of divine grace, 
is a term of pardon and salvation. 

9. What, in the possession of repentance, shall we do ? 

1. How is the genuineness of repentance ascertained? 

2. What do the reasons of repentance arise from ? 

* Ps.6:6, 7. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY* 



145 



3. That, indeed, we are sinners in the sight of God is a 
position susceptible of the strongest proof. We perceive, 
from the .slightest examination, that in almost every action 
of our lives we have failed to fulfil the object of our being; 
— that instead of pursuing the course best adapted to secure 
the greatest amount of happiness, and the highest perfection 
of our nature, we have adopted measures calculated to dimin- 
ish our enjoyments, and to retard our improvement : — that 
we have contravened the laws of our nature, not only in the 
inordinate indulgence of our passions and appetites, but also 
in the perversion of our intellects ; — that almost the whole 
design of God in creating us, as indicated by our adaptation 
and the holy scriptures, has been neglected and controverted. 

4. Corroborative of this deduction are the dispensations of 
divine providence. Were we not sinners, we should not be 
sufferers. A benevolent and righteous God would never 
punish innocent and guiltless creatures. If there were no 
sin, there could be no suffering. The latter can, in the na- 
ture of things, be the effect only of the former. Did every 
creature act in harmony with the laws of his own nature, 
there would be no derangement; and suffering is merely the 
result of that derangement which arises from the conflict of 
principles designed to act in unison. If man suffers in body, it 
is because his physical functions are disordered; if he suffers 
in mind, it is because his moral or intellectual faculties are 
deranged. Suffering is the necessary result of physical and 
moral disorder ; and sin is the cause of this disorder. 
Wherever there is a conflict of natural principles there is 
suffering ; and wherever there is suffering there is sin. Man 
being the subject of the one, is certainly the perpetrator of 
the other. Every sigh he utters, every tear he sheds, and 
every pain he feels, proves that he is a fallen and guilty crea- 
ture ; that having violated the laws of his own nature, and 

3. How does it appear that we are sinners ? 

4. How is this conclusion corroborated? 

13 



146 



A SYSTEM OF 



those of the universe, he is suffering the operation of their 
penalty. 

5. But the proof of our delinquency is derived not merely 
from external testimony, but also from our conscience. The 
slightest retrospect of our conduct seldom fails to produce 
emotions, painful and condemnatory. Every individual, in 
the possession of a sound mind, has often experienced that 
remorse of conscience, which arises only from a conviction 
that he is a sinner. This is the testimony of our own nature, 
given in conformity with those laws, which were ordained 
by our creator for our government. 

6. In perfect agreement with these deductions, the scrip- 
tures assure us that " the carnal mind is enmity against 
God;" # " that there is none that doeth good, no not one ;"f 
" that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who 
are under the law ; that every mouth may be stopped, and 
all the world may become guilty before God. "4: 

7. But upon the very being against whom we are contin- 
ually sinning we are infinitely dependent. He called us into 
existence, and made us w r hat we are. In every successive 
moment he has not only sustained and perpetuated our being, 
but ministered to our comfort. For every feeling and opera- 
tion of the mind, and for every action of the body, we are de- 
pendent on him alone. His fiat is the basis of our existence, 
and his will the source of our enjoyment. All the blessings 
of the present life, and all the hopes of that which is to come, 
are the emanations of his benignity. 

8. But what, perhaps, is the most decisive reason for re- 
pentance before God is the fact, that in the covenant of grace 
it is made the condition of pardon and salvation. " Except," 
saith Jesus Christ, " ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. "§ 

5. What else is the proof of our delinquency derived from? 

6. What do the scriptures say concerning these deductions? 

7. Against whom have we sinned ? 

8. What other reason is there for repentance? 

* Rom 8:7. t Rom. 3 : 12. t Rom. 3 : 19. § Luke 13:3. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



147 



And saith the apostle John, " if we say that we have no sin, 
we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us ; but if we 
confess pur sins God is faithful and just to forgive us our 
sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."* 

9. The fourth internal duty which we owe to God is love 
for his whole character, "Thou shait," says Jesus Christ, 
" love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy 
soul, and with all thy mind. This*is the first and great 
commandment."")" 

1. The precepts of the holy scriptures, although appa- 
rently delivered without thought, are often founded deeply in 
the philosophy of human nature. No analysis could have 
been more happy in reaching first principles, than the one 
we have just quoted. It is evidently the first and great com- 
mandment, because it is the basis of every other. The per- 
formance of every moral duty necessarily results from a love 
for God. The first, the best, and the greatest being as he is, 
he only is entitled to our primary and supreme affection. 
Among the elements of moral science this surely ranks fore- 
most. 

2. Our obligations to love God arise from the excellence 
of his nature — our adaptations to perform the duty — the ten* 
dency of the performance to promote our happiness — and 
the positive requirements of the holy scriptures. 

3. Amid the darkness which involves the movements of 
the Almighty, we discover qualities in his character infinitely 
lovely. Although possessing in himself all that is necessary 
to constitute him happy, he is continually seeking the welfare 

9. Which is the fourth internal duty that we owe to God? 

1. What is the character of scripture precepts? 

2. From what do our obligations to love God arise? 

3. What are the qualities of the divine character? 



* 1 John 1 ! 8, 9. t Mat. 22 : 37, 38. 



148 



A SYSTEM OF 



of his creatures. Of this fact we have ample evidence even 
in our own history. Short-sighted as we are, we discover in 
every dispensation of his providence, beneficence and kind- 
ness. Notwithstanding our ingratitude and sins, every man- 
ifestation of his will brings with it fresh indications of his 
goodness. Little as we understand of the designs of provi- 
dence ; its long and complicated chain of causes and effects ; 
its amazing process of abstracting good from evil ; and the 
ultimate objects of its*operations, we cannot but exclaim with 
David, " Oh that men would praise the Lord for his good- 
ness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men." 
Wonderful, however, as the exhibitions of divine goodness 
are in the systems of creation and providence, they are still 
greater in the gift of Jesus Christ. The incarnation of the 
son of God, his obedience to the requirements of the divine 
law in our behalf, and his submission to the operation of its 
penalty for our redemption, prove, in the highest degree, the 
riches of his goodness. 

4. Nor are the obligations to love God with our whole 
heart less apparent from the adaptations of our nature. Ex- 
actly fitted as we are to the performance of this act, it must 
be our duty to accomplish it. Whatever, by the natural 
adaptation of his creatures, they are qualified to do, they are 
bound, subject to the other laws of their nature, to execute. 
Man, by his natural organization, is enabled not only to per- 
ceive the being and attributes of God, and the relation in which 
he stands to him ; but also to appreciate his moral beauties. 
Fallen and corrupted as he is, it is impossible not to feel com- 
placency and delight in the accurate and proper view of the 
divine character. This, when contemplated in its true light, 
never fails to awaken in every bosom the sentiment of love. 
Such is the moral nature of man, that the excitement of com- 
placency and delight by an accurate and extended view of 

4, From what else are our obligations to love God apparent? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



149 



the divine character, is no less natural than the elimination of 
heat by the process of combustion. The feelings of every 
individual- as certainly respond in love to the divine excel- 
lence, when properly perceived, as that every effect is pro- 
duced by a cause. Man, indeed, not only must love the di- 
vine excellence when seen in its true light; but, strictly 
speaking, he can love nothing else. There is nothing lovea- 
ble in the universe, but as it bears the impress of the divine 
loveliness. A passion for any object not possessing, nor sup- 
posed to possess, the lineaments of the divine character, is 
merely the effect of instinct, of animal appetite, of habit, or 
of any thing but love. Moral excellence alone is the object 
of this affection, and God only is the possessor of this ex- 
cellence. 

5. And while man is eminently qualified by the adapta- 
tions of his nature to love God, the performance of this duty 
contributes greatly to his happiness. To have the energies 
of his nature directed to their proper object; to accomplish 
the high destiny of his moral being; to possess feelings in 
harmony with the principle of eternal excellence; to con- 
template with rapture and admiration the primary qualities 
of all beauty; are the effects of loving God; and these ef- 
fects are the elements of true happiness. Collaterally with 
these enjoyments we have the pleasing conviction that while 
we love God, he also loves us. And nothing can contribute 
more to the happiness of human beings than a persuasion of 
this kind. To believe that he, who holds in his own hands 
the destiny of the universe, is our friend and benefactor, can- 
not fail, even in the darkest periods, to cherish hope, alleviate 
affliction, and promote happiness. This state of feeling is, 
indeed, the only sunny side of human life. Without it, all 
is dreary, hopeless, and full of misery. 

6. The scriptures, it is well, known, abound with the 

5. Which is the next "reason for loving God ? 

6. Do the sciipturcs require us to love God? 

18* 



150 



A SYSTEM OF 



strongest injunctions to love God. " I have," said Moses to 
the Hebrews, " set before thee this day life and good, and 
death and evil ; in that I command thee this day to love the 
Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his com- 
mandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, that thou 
mayest live and multiply : and the Lord thy God shall bless 
thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it."* 

7. The fifth internal duty that we owe to God, is an ac- 
quiescence in his providence and laws. 

8. The doctrine of divine providence naturally follows 
from the fact that God is the creator of all things. The same 
considerations that induced him to create, would also induce 
him to govern and preserve. Whatever might have been 
the promotion of his honour by the first production of things, 
the discontinuance of his conservatory care of them would 
have derogated from his glory, as much as creating them 
had promoted it. Hence we are assured that in his " hand 
is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all man- 
kind ;"f that " his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his 
dominion is from generation to generation that " he doeth 
according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the 
inhabitants of the earth ;"§ that " the kingdom is the Lord's : 
and he is the governor among the nations. "|| 

9. All creatures, and all circumstances, are equally under 
the control of divine providence. The qualities, the modifi- 
cations, and the movements of the material world, and all 
the motives, the feelings, and the actions of the moral, are 
alike subject to its direction. Controlling and actuating the 
infinitely complicated portions of the universe, it upholds 

7. Which is the fifth internal duty that we owe to God ? 

8. From what does the doctrine of divine providence follow ? 

9. What is the extent of divine providence ? 

*Deut. 30:15, 16. t Job 12: 10. X Dan. 4: 3. § Dan. 4: 35. 
II Ps. 22: 28. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



151 



and vivifies them all. From the lightest atom that floats upon 
the bosom of the air, to the grandest orb that glitters along 
the spaces of the skies, this directing and conservatory power 
extends. 

1. Nor does it consist, as some suppose, in the operation 
of principles inherent in the works of nature ; but in the im- 
mediate power of God. Whatever may be the apparent en- 
ergy of creatures, they have derived it all from their Creator. 
All effects must have adequate causes, and creatures having 
no independent and active power, hold whatever they pos- 
sess, only, by derivation. God alone is, and can be, the 
primary cause of all effects. 

2. Nor is the supposition true, that things once in being 
will continue so, till a greater force than themselves puts 
them out of existence. For as the subsistence of all things 
depends upon the power that gave them being, when this 
power is withdrawn, they will of course cease to be. When 
the substratum is removed the superstructure necessarily 
falls. We might as well say that an effect will continue 
without a cause, as that things once in being will continue 
so after the energy that gave them being is withdrawn. 

3. Nor is the doctrine, specious as it is, that God governs 
all things by secondary causes, less untrue. Being every 
where present, he is able to carry on his own government by 
the exercise of his own power. He, indeed may, and does 
connect causes and effects ; but he alone can give efficiency 
to any cause. Properly speaking, he is the only indepen- 
dent and efficient cause in the universe. 

4. The object of divine providence being the promotion 
of the best interests of the universe, every effort intended to 
counteract this design will ultimately prove abortive. Mov- 

1. In what does divine providence consist? 

2. Can things once in being continue so independently ? 

3. Does God govern all things by secondary causes ? 

4. What will be the result of opposing divine providence ? 



152 



A SYSTE3I OF 



ing onward in silent but resistless majesty, it will accomplish, 
with unfailing certainty, its high designs. " He disappointeth 
the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform 
their enterprise. He taketh the wise in their own craftiness ; 
and the counsel of the froward he carrieth headlong. They 
meet with darkness in the day time, and group in the noon- 
day as in the night. But he saveth the poor from the sword, 
from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty."* From 
the first movement of divine providence till the present mo- 
ment^ it has continued its onward march, enlisting into its 
service, and overthrowing every thing arrayed against it. 
And should the universe combine to oppose its operations, it 
could not, for a single moment, impede their accomplishment. 
44 The Almighty is of one mind, and who can turn him? and 
what his soul desireth, even that he doeth."f 

5. Nor is the divine providence less distinguished for wis- 
dom than it is for power. It selects alike the best ends, and 
the best means for the accomplishment of those ends. In 
the contradiction and coincidence of distant and proximate 
circumstances — the many strange and apparently accidental 
occurrences, resulting in the most important and interesting 
events — the alternate elevation and depression of the same 
people, and the same individuals — and in our own history 
we have ample illustration of this fact. 

6. Disastrous as many of the dispensations of divine pro- 
vidence appear, they are infinitely good. Considered in an 
isolated point of light, they seem arbitrary and severe ; but 
when viewed in connexion with the life which now is, and 
that which is to come, they appear, as they really are — per- 
fectly good. In our present condition we see only as through 
a glass darkly ; but when mortality shall have put on im- 

5. Is power the only quality of providence ? 

6. What besides wisdom end power does divine providence compre- 
hend? 

* Job 5: 12—16. t JobQ3:13. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



153 



mortality, and we are enabled to see, even as we are seen, 
the character of God's doings will stand forth with unmin- 
gled loveliness. 

7. The reasons for acquiescing in the dispensations of di- 
vine providence arise from the sovereignty of God — from the 
purity and equity of his administration— and from the fact 
that such an acquiescence contributes to our happiness. 

8. God being the creator and upholder of all things, has, 
of course, a right to dispose of them according to his own 
pleasure. In this respect no one can say to him, " what 
doest thou?" Absolute in his dominion, he doeth, and has a 
right to do, as seemeth good in his sight. " Who art thou, 
O man," saith an apostle, "that repliest against God? shall 
the thing formed, say to him that formed it, why hast thou 
made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of 
the same lump to make one vessel unto honour and another 
unto dishonour?"* 

9. God, accordingly, in the exercise of his sovereignty, 
claims from his creatures unlimited submission. " Take no 
thought for your life," says Jesus Christ, " what ye shall eat, 
or what ye shall drink ; nor yet for your body, what ye shall 
put on."f " But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his 
righteousness; and all these things shall be added. "J And 
he hath taught us to say to our heavenly Father, " thy will 
be done on earth, as it is in heaven. "§ 

1. But an acquiescence in the dispensations of God is re- 
quired, not merely on account of his sovereignty, but also on 
account of the rectitude of his government. Be his sover- 
eignty what it may, he is never, in a single instance, reck- 

7. From what do the reasons for acquiescing in divine providence 
arise ? 

8. What is the first reason ? 

9. What does God claim from his creatures ? 

1. What is the second reason for acquiescing in divine providence ? 
* Rom. 9: 20, 21. t Mat. 6:25. % lb. 6:33. § lb. 6:10. 



154 



A SYSTEM OF 



less of right. The entire system of his operations, however 
complicated and incomprehensible to the eye of mortals, must 
necessarily be in accordance with his nature — and this na- 
ture is equity itself. Being infinitely good, he is inclined to 
do what is right; infinitely wise, he knows what is right; and 
infinitely powerful^ he will do what is right. 

2. Nor is an acquiescence in the dispensations of divine 
providence less contributive to our happiness than it is con- 
formable to equity. Yielding to the will of him who rides 
upon the storm and directs the whirlwind ; who, in the twink- 
ling of an eye, can exalt to heaven, or thrust down to hell, 
is not only an act of prudence, but a source of quietude. The 
will of God is only another name for equity ; consequently, 
an acquiescence in it brings us into harmony with what is 
just ; and this, to moral agents, is the only source of happi- 
ness. The adjustment of our mental faculties to their pro- 
per end; or, in other words, a submission to the will of God, 
as indicated by the nature and adaptation of his creatures and 
the holy scriptures, is the basis of all enjoyment. The more 
closely our minds approximate the principles of rectitude, the 
more sweetly they enjoy that harmony, which is the essence 
of true felicity. The faculties of every creature were de- 
signed by their Creator to act in unison with his will, and in 
doing so they attain the highest degree of perfectness they 
are capable of possessing. Consequently, an acquiescence 
in the dispensations of providence, resulting from proper 
principles, tend directly to the promotion of our happiness. 
Even in the most disastrous vicissitudes the language of such 
a feeling is, " the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away 
— blessed be the name of the Lord." 

3. In confirmation of the fact in question, we have the 
entire hpok of Job. And St. Paul expressly declares, " that 

2. What is the third reason for acquiescing in divine providence? 

3. What is the fourth reason for acquiescing in divine providence ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



155 



all things work together for good to them that love God, to 
them who are the called according to his purpose."* 

4. The external duties that we owe to God comprehend — 
searching his written word — prayer to him for the blessings 
which he hath promised to bestow — observance of the holy 
sabbath — the public celebration of his worship — the recep- 
tion of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's supper — 
and efforts to extend the influence of his gospel. 

5. To search the holy scriptures with benefit, the process, 
in the first place, must be conducted with candor. This, in 
every kind of investigation, is so important, that without it 
success is not possible. In yielding to the influence of pre- 
judice we shall inevitably be led astray. While controlled 
by a disinclination to receive the proofs of a proposition, they 
may, indeed, shine upon the minds of others with the bright- 
ness of a sun beam ; but upon ours they will produce no 
conviction. In wishing a position to be false, we shall en- 
deavour to prove it to be so ; and even a failure in the attempt 
will only strengthen our prepossessions. No mental condi- 
tion can be more unfriendly to the acquisition of truth than 
a want of candor. In the destitution of this virtue we are 
like a bark exposed to the fury of a tempest, without a rud- 
der or a compass. 

6. As we value our present and eternal interest, we should, 
in the examination of the holy scriptures, divest ourselves of 
prejudice. The language of our inmost souls should be, — 
" this is the book of God, and whatever it teaches I will be- 
lieve. No doctrine, no theory, not- comprehended in its sa- 
cred pages, shall be the object of my religious faith." 

4. What do our external duties comprehend? 

5. What is the first requisite for searching the scriptures ? 

6. Is it important to search the scriptures with candor ? 



* Rom. 8:28. 



156 



A SYSTEM OP 



7. Instead, however, of pursuing this course, we almost 
invariably first form a system of belief, and then search the 
scriptures to support it. Merging the doctrines of divine 
truth in our own notions, we are anxious only for their sup- 
port. This process, however, in every age, has been pro- 
ductive of the greatest mischief. Had christians always 
searched the scriptures with singleness of mind, and thence 
deduced the principles of their faith and practice, the church 
would have been spared many of those divisions by which 
•she has been long disgraced. In respect to the fundamentals 
of Christianity there would have been a general unanimity ; 
and on points of minor importance, a spirit of forbearance 
would have prevailed. The remark, so honourable to the 
primitive christians, — " see how they love one another," 
would have been applicable, in every age, to the followers of 
Jesus Christ. 

8. To candor, in searching the holy scriptures, should 
be added industry. This in every pursuit is requisite; but 
in that after a knowledge of salvation by Jesus Christ, it is 
infinitely important. Every moment we can spare from other 
duties should be employed in this. Comprehending, as the 
revelation of God does, his stupendous and complicated dis- 
pensations concerning man, it is impossible to obtain a know- 
ledge of it without incessant effort. Hence said Jesus Christ, 
" strive to enter in at the straight gate; for many, I say unto 
you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."* And the 
injunction, " search the scriptures, for in them ye think ye 
have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me,"f 
indicate the importance of a laborious investigation of their 
meaning. 

9. And this industry, to be successful, must be continued. 

7. Are the scriptures generally searched with candor ? 

8. What is the second requisite for searching the scriptures ? 

9. What is the third requisite for searching the scriptures ? 

* Luke 13:24. t John 5: 39. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



157 



The indolence, caprice, and prejudice of our own minds, are 
unceasing obstructions to the pursuit of knowledge. Lurking 
in the deep recesses of the heart, and exercising an influence 
over our mental powers, they not unfrequently prove to be at 
once the combatants and the conquerors. From their do- 
minion nothing can deliver us but determined and persever- 
ing efforts. And to those inherent difficulties may be added 
the obscurity of the holy scriptures. Profound and sublime 
as they often are, the ascertainment of their meaning is not 
to be effected by a single glance. The patient and laborious 
process of comparing prophecy with prophecy, prediction 
with its accomplishment, doctrines with matters of fact, pre- 
cepts with promises, history with the annals of contemporary 
authors, sacred diction with the language of uninspired wri- 
ters, and revelation with the economy of nature, is not un- 
frequently indispensable — and this requires perseverance* 

1. Nor should we, in searching the holy scriptures, neglect 
to be methodical, A promiscuous and desultory reading of 
the word of God is seldom beneficial. Connected as it is in 
every part, and each part tending to a single point, it is im- 
possible to arrive at its full meaning but by studying it en- 
tirely. There is but little hazard in the assertion that with- 
out adopting this method, but slow advances will be made in 
the attainment of divine knowledge. In a desultory course 
of study, many passages, not improbably, will escape notice ; 
and should those passages contain important promises or pre- 
cepts, the loss will be irreparable. Ignorance is so far from 
being the mother of devotion, it is a source fruitful of diso- 
bedience. Desirous as we may be of conforming to the will 
of God, if we are ignorant of its import, our desires will be 
in vain. The circle of human duties being prescribed only 
in the word of God, and even in that in scattered and insu- 
lated passages, can never fully be apprehended, but by con- 



L What is the fourth requisite for searching the scriptures ? 

14 



158 



A SYSTEM OF 



secutive perusals. Blooming like roses in the midst of thorns, 
as the revelations of God's purposes often* do, they require 
an attentive and systematic hand to cull them. Should any 
of them be overlooked by the indulgence of a roving fancy, 
the delinquency will not fail to be productive of incalculable 
mischief. 

2. Nor should we, in searching the holy scriptures, lose 
sight, for a single moment, of our native weakness. Feeling 
that God only is competent to instruct us in the mysteries of 
his revelation, we should, with ever-growing solicitude, be- 
seech him, by the illuminations of his spirit, to teach us what 
we know not. Paschal, who not improbably possessed a3 
strong an intellect as ever fell to the lot of mortals, always, 
in his latter years, read the scriptures with fervent and hum- 
ble prayer, beseeching God to give him a spiritual frame of 
mind, believing that spiritual things can be only spiritually 
discerned. 

8. But, as comprehending in a single word all that we 
have said, or can say, in reference to the proper method of 
searching the word of God, we will remark, in the last place, 
it should be read with implicit faith. It is certainly not the 
prerogative of human beings, to arraign at the bar of their 
own reason the wisdom of the Eternal ; and to reject those 
parts of his revelation they are not disposed to understand; 
but with the deepest reverence and self-abasement, under all 
the exhibitions of his will, to say, " Speak, Lord, thy servant 
heareth." That faith which receives the scriptures as the 
word of God without reserve, and without qualification, is 
absolutely indispensable to the proper perusal of them. 
" Without faith," saith the apostle Paul, " it is impossible to 
please God."* 

2. What is the fifth requisite for searching the scriptures? 

3. What is the sixth requisite for searching the scriptures ? 



* Heb.ll: 6- 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 159 

4. We are bound thus to search the holy scriptures, be- 
cause God has given them for our perusal — they, exclusively, 
contain information, on many topics, which it is important to 
understand — and the reading of them is an appointed means 
of salvation. 

5. The almighty creator and sustainer of all things, pos- 
sesses, necessarily, the right of universal government ; and 
as this government naturally implies laws ; the promulgation 
of those laws imposes upon his subjects the obligation of 
considering them. Hence, he said, " These words, which I 
command thee this day, shall be in thine heart; and thou shalt 
teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them 
when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by 
the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 
And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they 
shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt 
write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates."* 
And says Jesus Christ, " Search the scriptures, for in them 
ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which tes- 
tify of me."f 

6. That the word of God contains information important 
to human beings, no where else to be obtained, is evident 
even to the eye of reason. How we may obtain the remis- 
sion of our sins, and a restoration to the divine favour, is a 
question of the deepest interest ; but at the same time it is a 
question which the scriptures only are competent to solve. — 
Guided merely by the light of reason, in our investigations 
of this subject, we are led to conclude that sin is not remissi- 
ble. God, we know, is infinitely just, and will impose upon 
his creatures no duty but what is right ; and if, in the disre- 
gard of his requirements, they incur the penalty of his dis- 

4. Which are the reasons for searching the scriptures ? 

5. What is the first reason for searching the scriptures? 

6. What is the second reason for searching the scriptures 7 

* Deut. 6: 6—9. t John 5: 39. 



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A SYSTEM OF 



pleasure, we know of no process of reasoning by which they 
are assured of pardon ? Can the infinitely holy and supreme 
governor become reconciled to offenders who have made, 
and can make, no atonement for their sins? Such a recon- 4 
ciliation would seem to be an act of mercy at the expense of 
justice, and consequently impossible. How God can restore a 
sinner to his favour while he is in arrear to justice, is a ques- 
tion infinitely beyond the power of human reason to resolve ; 
but in the holy scriptures this mystery is explained with the 
greatest clearness. They tell us that " God was in Christ 
reconciling the world unto himself."-* That the eternal son, 
assuming human nature, suffered in that nature the penalty 
incurred by those who are justified and saved. That on 
every individual, who believes not, the penalty of doing 
wrong is inflicted in its full force; but in reference to every 
one who believes in Christ, the penalty of doing wrong is in- 
flicted, not upon the offenders, but upon their substitute. By 
this arrangement sin is not suffered to be committed with 
impunity, nor is the rectitude of the divine government com- 
promised ; but in the language of the psalmist, " Mercy 
and truth meet together ; righteousness and peace kiss each 
other."t 

7. Should it be objected that this arrangement involves the 
incongruity of transferring the sufferings of the guilty to the 
innocent, it may be replied, that be this incongruity what it 
may, it is not peculiar to the scriptures. The innocent, in 
the ordinary course of things, not unfrequently suffer for the 
guilty ; and the most abandoned are benefitted by the virtu- 
ous. Nothing is more common than for children to derive 
from dissipated parents the miseries of poverty and a sickly 
constitution ; and for thriftless and vicious children to riot in 
the earnings of industrious and pious parents. Every public 



7. What objection is here obviated ? 

* 2Cor. 5:19. + Ps. 85: 10. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



161 



calamity, brought about by the disobedience of the people, 
falls with equal weight upon the innocent and the guilty* 
The entire system of divine providence seems to be founded 
upon the principle that the temporary interests of the few is 
to be merged into the benefit of the whole. And if this be 
the fact in the operations of nature, why may it not be so in 
the dispensations of grace ? God, in transferring the punish- 
ment of the guilty to the innocent, in the system of redemp- 
tion, consulted not only the interest of the whole, but the 
wishes of the sufferer. All that Christ achieved -|br the 
human race was done willingly. " I lay down my life," 
said he, " that I might take it again. No man taketn it from 
me, but I lay it down of myself."* And while he volunta- 
rily submitted to the penalty of the violated law, he derived 
from the submission infinite advantage. " He saw of the 
travail of his soul, and was satisfied."^ But in the economy 
of nature, the sufferings of the innocent, in consequence of 
the conduct of the vicious, are not only involuntary, but 
often without recompense. If, therefore, the latter can be 
just, so also can the former. 

8. Besides the remission of sin and a restoration to the 
favour of God, there are other subjects, in which we are 
deeply interested, that are opened only in the holy scriptures. 
The darkness naturally resting upon the destiny of man, 
defies the scrutiny of human reason, and can be dissipated 
only by the light of heaven. There is not a single spot 
upon the face of this dark earth, on which we can stand, and 
feel that we are at home. All is wrapped in mystery ; ail 
is incomprehensible ! To the most anxious and prying eye 
the limits of mortality oppose an impenetrable barrier. At 
this point the scriptures only are competent to lift the veil and 
disclose the realities of another world. The resurrection of 

8. What other topics do the scriptures exclusively treat of? 

* John 10:17,18. f Is. 53: 11. 

14* 



162 



A SYSTEM OF 



the body, the immortality of the soul, and the recompense 
which awaits the just in heaven, are lights flung upon our 
dark and dreary prospects only by the pages of inspiration. 

9. That the searching of the holy scriptures is a means, 
appointed for the salvation of human beings, is a position too 
plainly authenticated to detain us a single moment. " As 
the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven," saith God, 
u and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and 
maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the 
sower $nd bread to the eater : so shall my word be that goeth 
forth o^gj of my mouth : it shall not return unto me void, but 
it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper 
in the thing whereto I sent it."* " The gospel of Christ," 
St. Paul says, " is the power of God unto salvation to every 
one that believeth ; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. "f 
And St. James asserts that, " Whoso looketh into the perfect 
law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a for- 
getful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be 
blessed in his deed.":j: 

1. The second external duty that we owe to God is prayer 
to him for the blessings which he hath promised to bestow. 

2. Prayer, in the acceptation of the holy scriptures, implies 
the offering of our desires to the Father, through the media- 
tion of the son, under the influence of the holy spirit, with 
suitable dispositions for those things which are promised in 
the gospel. 

3. It consists, in the first instance, of desire. "It is not 
eloquence," saith a pious writer, " but earnestness; not the 
definition of helplessness, but the feelingof .it; not figures 

9. What is the third reason for searching- the scriptures ? 

1. Which is the second external duty that we owe to God? 

2. What does prayer imply? 

3. Of what does prayer, in the first place, ^consist? 

* Is. 55 : 10, 11. t Rom. 1 : 16. t James 1 : 25. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



163 



of speech, but compunction of soul."* Without desire, in 
the strong meaning of the term, there can be no prayer. In 
scripture language, an hungering and thirsting for righteous- 
ness is the' very essence of this duty. " My heart and my 
flesh," saith David, " crieth out for the living God."f We 
may pray in all the external attitudes of humility and self- 
abasement ; may use the most appropriate and impressive 
language ; join in the most scriptural and elevated forms of 
worship ; but if we are not deeply sensible of our unworthi- 
ness ; if we do not properly appreciate the importance of the 
divine blessings ; if we do not hunger and thirst for right- 
eousness, all will be unavailing. " The kingdom of heaven 
suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."J There 
is no feeling more adverse to piety than indifference to our 
spiritual wants. " Because," said Jesus Christ, to the church 
at Laodicea, "thou art neither cold nor hot, but lukewarm, 
I will spue thee out of my mouth. "§ And " strive" said 
he, " to enter into the kingdom of heaven: for many, I say 
unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."|) 

4. Nor does prayer consist simply of desires; but also in 
offering up those desires to our heavenly Father. The sup- 
position, which not unfrequently obtains, that the worship of 
the divine Being is merely passive; or consists only in medi- 
tation, is without the slightest foundation in truth. Jacob 
not only felt his need of the blessings which he sought, but 
even wrestled for them till they were bestowed. When tho 
angel said, " Let me go, the day breaketh," he replied, "I 
will not let thee go except thou bless me."5T And the redeemer 
said to his disciples, " ask, and it shall be given you ; seek, 
and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be upened to you."** 

5. Nor is the precept here expressed in contradiction to 

4. Of what does prayer, in the second place, consist? 

5. Is the offering of our desires in words to God reasonable ? 

* Hannah More. tPs.84:2. t Mat. 11:12. § Rev. 3: 16. 

U Lake 13 : 24. Gen. 32 : 26. ** Mat. 7 : 7. 



164 



A SYSTEM OP 



reason. The natural tendency of our minds to express their 
feelings in words; the salutary effects of making known our 
prayers to God ; and the satisfaction which always results 
from an humble and dependent intercourse with heaven, 
proves, in the eye of reason, the propriety of the precept, 
" Take with you iuo?*ds, and turn to the Lord."* 

6. The object, to whom our prayers should be addressed, 
is the Fatheii. In the system of redemption, each person of 
the trinity has his appropriate office. u Through him," saith 
an apostle, alluding to the son, " we both have access by one 
spirit unto the Father."f And the same sentiment is directly 
or indirectly expressed in many other passages of the New 
Testament. 

7. Addressing our prayers immediately to the son and the 
holy ghost is, under certain circumstances, sanctioned by 
the scriptures, and adopted by the church; but this fact, in- 
stead of invalidating the statement we have made, seems to 
have been intended originally to establish the doctrine of the 
trinity; and this being done, our duty is, in ordinary cases, 
to address our prayers to the " God and Father of our lord 
Jesus Christ.":]: 

8. Whether the sentiment here stated be strictly accurate 
or not, we are absolutely certain that God only is the proper 
object of prayers. Neither saints, nor angels, nor any ere- . 
ated beings, are permitted to be the objects of religious wor- 
ship. So long as the first and second commandments re- 
main parts of the decalogue, so long it will be our duty to 
address our prayers and supplications to God alone. 

9. But while we scrupulously abstain from the popish prac- 

6. Who is the proper object of prayer ? 

7. Is the addressing of our prayers to the son and holy ghost im- 
proper ? 

8. Should any created being be the object of religious prayer ? 

9. What is the proper medium of pra}*er? 

*Hoseal4:2. fEph.2:lU. tlb.5:20. Col. 1 :3 ; 3 ;: 17. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



165 



tice of addressing religious worship to created beings, we 
ought, with no less solicitude, to endeavour to present it through 
a proper medium. God, to every human creature is abso- 
lutely inaccessible, but through the mediation of his son.* 
This fact was made known to our guilty parents in Paradise, 
and in every successive dispensation has been disclosed with 
increasing clearness. Every victim which smoked upon the 
Jewish altar ; every ceremony prescribed by the law of Moses ; 
and every symbol of the christian church presented by the 
prophets, was intended to vindicate the necessity of the me- 
diation of the son of God. The morning and evening in- 
cense, ascending from the golden altar, not only shadowed 
forth this important office, but also its acceptableness to the 
majesty on high. This was the true incense, which render- 
ing redolent the Jewish service, secured to it the approbation 
of Jehovah. In reference to this fact, St. John tells us, 
"When the lamb had taken the book out of the right hand 
of him who sat upon the throne, the four beasts, and the 
four and twenty elders, fell down before the lamb, having 
every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, 
which are the prayers of saints. "f 

1. When the mosaical dispensation had passed away, and 
the realities which it typified took its place, the mediatorial 
offices of the son of God were stated in the clearest terms. 
"Iam," said he, " the way, and the truth, and the life;" 
and " no man cometh unto the Father but by me. "J And 
St. Paul says, " There is one God, and one mediator be- 
tween God and man, the man Christ Jesus." 

2. But to present our prayers acceptably to the Father, 
through the son, they must be offered under the influence of 
the holy spirit. Although we are not authorized to look for 

1. What followed the abolition of the mosaical dispensation? 

2. Under what influence should our prayers be offered? 

* John 14:6. t Rev. 5:8. t John 14:6. 



166 



A SYSTEM OF 



those immediate and sensible inspirations which the prophets, 
and apostles, and many of the primitive christians, certainly 
possessed, we may expect from the unction of the holy one, 
that earnestness, and fervour, and penitence, and faith, which 
are necessary to the acceptableness of our devotions. Such 
is our need of the divine assistance in the performance of 
prayer, that without it success will be impossible. To use 
the language of a reformer, " The holy spirit excites in us 
confidence, desires, and sighs, to the conception of which 
our native powers were altogether inadequate." And St. 
Paul says, " The spirit helpeth our infirmities with groanings 
that cannot be uttered."* 

3. Our prayers, however, to be acceptable in the sight of 
Gt>d, must be offered with suitable dispositions. To meet 
the approbation of our heavenly Father, we must come be- 
fore him with clean hands, and a pure heart.f It is the 
honest, the sincere, and the upright intention of the soul, 
which secures to us, through the merits of the cross, the 
favourable reception of our prayers. Every unholy motive, 
and every improper disposition, must, without reluctance or 
reserve, be given up. If we regard iniquity in our hearts, 
God will not hear our prayers ;J and we are assured that he 
is of " purer eyes than to behold evil ;"§ and that he cannot 
look upon iniquity with the least allowance. Upon this sub- 
ject the scriptures are particularly exact : they point out not 
only what we should suppress, but also what we should cul- 
tivate. Vain glory, and the love of show, are definitely pro- 
scribed. " When thou prayest," saith Jesus Christ, " enter 
into thy closet ; and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to 
thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who seeth in 
secret will reward thee openly. "|| Revengeful and malicious 
feelings are likewise interdicted. " When thou bringest thy 

3. With what disposition should our prayers be offered? 
* Rom. 8: 26. f Ps. 24: 4. t Ps. 66: 18. § Hab. 1 : 13. [| Mat. 6 : 6. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



167 



gift before the altar," saith the same authority, " and there 
rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave 
there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way ; first be re- 
conciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift."* 
Nor is the inordinate love of pleasure treated with less seve- 
rity. " Ye ask," saith the apostle James, " and receive not, 
because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your 
lusts."f 

4. But an abstinence from vice, simply, is not sufficient: 
we must cultivate the virtues. "Humble yourselves," saith 
the apostle Peter, " under the mighty hand of God, that you 
may be exalted in due time.":j: And to illustrate the import- 
ance of humility, " Two men," we are told, " went up into 
the temple to pray ; the one a pharisee, and the other a pub- 
lican :" the former stood, and prayed thus with himself : 
" God, J thank thee that I am not as other men are : extor- 
tioners, unjust, adulterers ; or even as this publican. I fast 
twice in the week ; I give tithes of all that I possess." But 
the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as 
his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, " God, 
be merciful to me, a sinner." And it is added, " This man 
went down to his house justified rather than the other : for 
every one that exalteth himself shall be abased ; and he that 
humbleth himself shall be exalted. "§ Humility, growing out 
of a conviction of our original and actual pollution, is abso- 
lutely indispensable to the acceptableness of prayer. The 
system of redemption, designing to stain the pride of man, 
and to humble him before his Maker, must accomplish its 
intended object ; and until this is done, and the language of 
his heart is, " I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes," 
he will never find acceptance at the throne of grace. To 
humility must be added faith : that faith which receives, im- 

4. Is an abstinence from vice sufficient to render our prayers accepta- 
ble? 

* Mat. 5 : 23, 24. t James 4:3. t 1 Peter 5:6. § Luke 18 : 10—14. 



168 



A SYSTEM OF 



plicitly, the promises, the precepts, and the denunciations of 
the scriptures ; which embraces Christ in all his mediatorial 
offices, and depends on him alone for pardon and salvation ; 
which, in the expressive language of an apostle, " is the sub- 
stance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not 
seen." And to crown all, we must cultivate that meek and 
submissive spirit, which never murmurs nor repines at the 
ways of God; but which receives with gratitude all the dis- 
pensations of providence and grace, whether they arrive at 
the expected time, or in the anticipated form or not. That 
submission which distinguished the son of God in all the 
changes through which he passed, should be the character- 
istic of our feelings, at all limes, and under all circumstances. 
In every petition we offer at the throne of God, the language 
of our hearts should be, " Not my will be done, but thine, O 
heavenly Father." 

5. In the last place, we should pray for those blessings 
only which are promised in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Hav- 
ing forfeited, by wicked works, every title to the divine mer- 
cies, we can expect to receive them only upon the ground of 
unmerited goodness. Nothing can be more presumptuous 
than to ask God for things he has never promised to bestow ; 
or to ask even his promised blessings at a time, or in a de- 
gree, he has not been pleased to authorize. In all our ad- 
dresses to the throne of God, we should recollect that sover- 
eignty belongs to him, and submission is appropriate to us. 

6. But blessed be his name, and the riches of his grace 
in Christ Jesus, we are not straightened in the scope of 
our petitions. All the resources of divine goodness are 
in waiting, if we ask for them as directed in the scrip- 
tures. " The Lord God is a sun and shield, he will 
give grace and glory, and no good thing wili he withhold 

5. What should we pray for ? 

6. Are we straightened in the scope of our prayers ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



169 



from them that walk uprightly."* Every thing calculated, 
upon the whole, to promote our happiness in this world, and 
in that which is to come, is promised to us, if we seek it in 
a proper manner. All the varieties of pi-osperity and ad- 
versity ; of sickness and health, as best adapted to our tem- 
perament, circumstances, and destination in life, are, upon 
this condition, secured to us, in the charter of grace. " If ye 
then, being evil," said Jesus Christ, " know how to give good 
gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father 
which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"f 

7. There is, perhaps, in the whole compass of practical 
religion, no duty more positively required than that of prayer. 
Ever since the promise of divine mercy, through the medium 
of Jesus Christ, was promulgated to our guilty race, the per- 
formance of this duty has been enjoined with peculiar em- 
phasis. It is represented, in the holy scriptures, as being 
the chief instrument of securing to us the blessings of the 
new-covenant. Christ, therefore, spake a parable to this 
end, that men " ought always to pray, and not to faint. "J 

8. The importance of this duty is often felt even without 
the light of the holy scriptures. In those unhappy countries, 
which have been for ages enveloped in the darkness of pagan 
superstition, it has been invariably performed. " The na- 
ture of God," said Tully, " may justly challenge the wor- 
ship of all men, because of its superlative excellence, bless- 
edness, and eternity." " And whoever doubts or denies this," 
says Aristotle, " ought not to be dealt with by arguments^ 
but by punishments" The stoicks, who imputed so much to 
their own strength, and so little to divine assistance, not un- 
frequently retracted their general notions, and taught their 
disciples that, as no man could be good without God, so their 

7. Is prayer positively required? 

8. Is the duty of prayer ever felt without the light of revelation ? 

*Ps.84:ll. tMat.7:ll. % Luke 18:1. 

15 



170 



A SYSTEM OF 



business was to pray to him. It has been a maxim of very 
general prevalence among the heathen, that all their actions 
should begin with the gods ; that a blessing cannot be ob- 
tained from them without imploring their aid ; and that their 
sacrifices are not duly offered, nor the gods rightly wor- 
shipped, without prayer. 

9. Under the combined instructions of nature and revela- 
tion, the truly pious, in all ages, have acknowledged the im- 
portance of this duty. Even under the patriarchal dispensa- 
tion altars were erected to the God of heaven, and men 
began to call upon his name. In the numerous changes and 
trials through which they passed, a resort to the throne of 
grace was always their refuge and consolation. Nor could 
they be induced, either by threats or promises, to relinquish 
the enjoyment of a privilege so productive of comfort and 
advantage. Under the succeeding dispensations of the divine 
economy, the importance of prayer to God seems to have 
been increasingly appreciated. Daniel, though prohibited, 
under pain of death, from praying to any god or man for 
thirty days, excepting to the king of Babylon, still persisted 
in addressing the throne of his heavenly Father. Life itself, 
in his view, was infinitely less desirable than the testimony 
of a good conscience, founded upon the faithful performance 
of his duty. "One thing," said David, " have I desired of 
the Lord, that will I seek after ; that I may dwell in the 
house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the 
beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple."* Nor 
did he, under any circumstances, ever forget his resolution ; 
but, amid the varieties of an infinitely checkered life, he 
considered it his highest privilege to inquire of God in his 
holy temple. JEven Christ himself was attentive to the duty 
of prayer. He often retired to some lonely place, where no 

9. What has been the conduct of the pious with respect to prayer ? 
* Ps. 27:4. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



171 



mortal eye could see him, and there poured out his supplica- 
tions to his heavenly Father.* In the garden of Gethsemane 
he prayed till he sweat as it were great drops of sweat and 
blood falling down to the ground. *j* The last words which 
trembled on his dying lips were an address to his heavenly 
Father. " My God, my God," said he, " why hast thou for- 
saken me?" 

1. Even if the duty of prayer were not enforced by such 
examples, the fact of our entire dependence upon God is 
quite sufficient to show its reasonableness. From him, and 
him alone, flow all the blessings we now enjoy, or ever 
can enjoy. Always, entirely, and absolutely dependent on 
him are we for every breath we breathe, every word we 
speak, every act we perform, and every favour we enjoy. 

2. Nor are we dependent only, but also guilty. Our con- 
duct has been deeply marked, in every period of our being, 
with crime or imperfection. Long, indeed, is the catalogue 
of sins charged against us in the book of God's remem- 
brance : a catalogue, whose items defy our memory to recall, 
or even our intellects to enumerate. 

3. Having rendered ourselves guilty in the sight of God, 
we are obnoxious to his wrath. Justice has long since cried 
against us, " cut them down, why cumber they the ground." 
Because of our iniquities, " the hand of God is turned against 
us ; he has compassed us with gall and travail ; he hath bent 
his bow, and'set us as a mark for his arrow, and hath caused 
the arrow of his quiver to enter into our reins ; fear, and a 
snare, have come upon us, desolation and destruction." 

4. Thus guilty, and exposed to punishment, we ought, 
surely, to ask for mercy and forgiveness. Every compunc- 

1. Does our dependence on God prove the propriety of prayer? 

2. What does our guiltiness prove ? 

3. What is the consequence of having rendered ourselves guilty ? 

4. Should we not then ask for mercy and forgiveness ? 

* Luke 6:12. t lb. 22:41. 



172 A SYSTEM OF 

tious pang we feel, every discovery of peril we obtain, and 
every temptation with which we are assailed, urge us to the 
throne of God for his assistance. 

5. Nor shall we find that prayer, even in the present life, 
is without benefit. Familiarizing our minds with the realities 
of another world, it excites a vivid sense of our unworthi- 
ness ; of our entire dependence upon our heavenly Father ; 
and of our absolute need of an interest in the merits of the 
cross. It awakens holy and elevated feelings ; dampens the 
spirit of levity, vanity, and the love of pleasure ; weans our 
affections from the world, and transfers them to things un- 
changing and divine. 

6. Nor is the performance of the duty of prayer less de- 
lightful than salutary. In approaching to the throne of God 
with humble and longing hearts, heaven opens to our eye of 
faith, and pours upon our waiting souls its animating glories. 
When sick with the sins and sorrows of the world ; when 
all the gaieties and pleasures of the present life lose their 
lustre and their power to delight, we find in prayer a con- 
solation, which all the treasures of the earth can never equal. 

7. Besides the pleasure immediately resulting from the act 
of prayer, it lays the foundation of a solid hope for future 
happiness. " Ask," says Jesus Christ, " and it shall be 
given you ; seek, and ye shall find ; knock, and it shall be 
opened unto you : for every one that asketh, receiveth ; and he 
that seeketh, findeth ; and to him that knocketh, it shall be 
opened."* These are the assurances of him who cannot lie ; 
of him who holdeth the keys of David, and shutteth and no 
man openeth, and openeth and no man shutteth ; of him who 
is the faithful and true witness. 

5. Is prayer in the present life beneficial ? 

6. Is prayer delightful ? 

7. Does prayer lay the foundation of hope ? 



* Mat. 7 : 7, 8. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



173 



8.. But the most direct and powerful reason for praying 
always, and never fainting, is derived from the holy scrip- 
tures. In them prayer is distinctly represented as a con- 
dition, on the performance of which, the blessings of the 
new covenant are proffered. " Ye have not," saith the 
apostle James, " because ye ask not."* And Jeremiah says, 
" Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, 
and upon the families that call not on thy name."f " Prayer," 
says Bp. Taylor, " is the effect and the exercise ; the begin- 
ning and promoter, of all graces. A holy life is a continual 
prayer. Prayer is the peace of our spirit, the stillness of 
our thoughts, the rest of our cares, the calm of our tempest." 
The flowing of the vital current through its destined chan- 
nels is not more essential to life and health, than prayer is 
to the increase of grace in our hearts. In the neglect, or 
even in the remission of this duty, it is impossible to advance 
in virtue. The soul, in itself, is like the unsupported vine, 
which, instead of shooting upwards, creeps upon the ground, 
and exhausts its vigour in unavailing efforts to ascend ; but 
when animated with the spirit of prayer, it is like the same 
vine fixing its adhesive tendrils to the sturdy oak, rising to 
its summit, and waving, uninjured, its verdant branches 
amid the blasts of the tempest, or the rays of the summer's 
sun. Nothing but fervent and unceasing prayer can bring us 
near to our heavenly Father ; can penetrate the clouds, which 
darken our distant prospects, and disclose to our weary eyes 
the sun-of righteousness, shining in his cheering radiance. 

9. The reasonableness of prayer, arising as it does from 
the light of nature, the examples of the pious in all ages, our 
weakness, guilt, and exposedness to punishment, the salutary 
influence of the exercise upon our lives ; the satisfaction and 

8. What is the most powerful reason for prayer ? 

9. What is the, summing up of the reasons for prayer ? 



* James 4:2. t Jer. 10:25. 

15* 



174 



A SYSTEM OF 



delight it unfailingly produces, and the solemn and affecting 
manner it is enjoined in the scriptures — must, in the view of 
candid and considerate minds, be abundantly apparent. 

1. The third external duty that we owe to God is the 
observance of the sabbath. 

2. Of all the ordinances of revealed religion, the sabbath, 
unquestionably, is the oldest. It was instituted immediately 
after God had finished the creation of the world ; and within 
a few hours, is coeval with the human race. On the seventh 
day " God ended his work which he had made ; and he 
rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had 
made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; 
because that in it he had rested from all his works which God 
created and made."* 

3. From this period, till the giving of the law by Moses, 
the sabbath was chiefly, if not entirely, observed as com- 
memorative of the rest of God after the labour of creation. 
But in the promulgation of the ten commandments, from the 
top of Horeb, this ordinance seems to have undergone some 
modification. The sabbath then was set apart not only as 
a day of rest, but as a period for religious worship, and 
spiritual improvement. " If," saith God, " thou turn away 
thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my 
holy day ; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the 
Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine 
own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine 
own words : then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord ; and 
I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, 
and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father : for the 
mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."f 

1. Which is the third external duty that we owe to God ? 

2. Is the sabbath of great antiquity ? 

3. Did the sabbath undergo any modification at the giving of the law ? 

* Gen. 2:2, 3. t Is. 58:13, 14. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



175 



4. From the giving of the law till the resurrection of the 
son of God, the observance of the sabbath, in accordance 
with the object of its institution, was deemed, by the Jewish . 
church, a duty of the first importance. Under the immediate 
direction of God, the disregard of its solemnity was made 
punishable with death. " While the children of Israel were 
in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon 
the sabbath day. And they that found him -gathering sticks 
brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the con- 
gregation. And they put him in ward, because it was not 
declared what should be done to him. And the Lord said 
unto Moses, the man shall be surely put to death ; all the 
congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp. 
And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and 
stoned him with stones, and he died : as the Lord com- 
manded Moses."* 

5. After the resurrection of Jesus Christ the sabbath was 
transferred from the seventh to the first day of the week. 
" On the first day of the week, (the day of his resurrection,) 
Christ met his disciples, assembled together. On the first 
day of the week following, he met them, again assembled 
together. On the first day of the week, at the feast, called 
Pentecost, the spirit descended in a miraculous and glorious 
manner upon the apostles. On the first day of the week, 
the disciples assembled together customarily, to break bread, 
and to make charitable contributions for their suffering 
brethren. From the first three of these facts, it is plain that 
Christ thought fit to honour this day with peculiar tokens of 
his approbation. From the last, that the apostles thought 
themselves warranted to devote it to religious purposes."f 

4. Was the observance of the sabbath considered very important 
under the law of Moses ? 

5 When was the sabbath transferred from the seventh to the first day 
of the week ? 

* Num. 15 : 32—36. t Dr. Dwight. 



176 



A SYSTEM OP 



6. The fact of this transfer is likewise attested by the 
current of ecclesiastical history. Ignatius, a companion of 
the apostles, says : " Let us no more sabbatize, but let us keep 
the Lord's day, on which our life arose. Justin Marty n, 
who lived at the close of the first and the beginning of the 
second century, says : " On the day, called Sunday, is an 
assembly of all, who live in the city or country ; and the 
memoirs of the apostles, and the writings of the prophets, are 
read." Irenseus, a disciple of Polycarp, the disciple of John 
himself, who lived in the second century, affirms that, " On 
the Lord's day every one of us, christians, keeps the sabbath ; 
meditating in the law, and rejoicing in the works of God." 
Dyonisius, bishop of Corinth, who lived in the time of 
Irenseus, says in his letter to the church in Rome, " To-day 
we celebrate the Lord's day, when we read your epistle to 
us." 

7. The object of the transfer of the sabbath from the 
seventh, to the first day of the week, was to render the 
christian sabbath commemorative of the accomplishment of 
human redemption, as well as of the rest of God after the 
labours of creation. Nor did the transfer, in the slightest 
degree, interfere with the spirit of the original institution. 
It was never intended that precisely the same hours, in every 
portion of the earth, should constitute the holy sabbath ; but 
that one seventh part of the time should be set apart for divine 
worship and spiritual improvement. The Jewish sabbath, it 
is well known, commenced and terminated at sun-set ; but as 
this event occurs at different hours, in different longitudes, it 
is impossible that the sabbath should comprehend precisely 
the same hours. While the sun rises to some portions of the 
earth, he is setting to others ; and as the sabbath begins and 
terminates in accordance with these events, it must embrace 
different hours in different portions of the earth. 

6. Is this transfer attested by the fathers ? 
T. What was the object of this transfer? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



177 



8. The observance of the christian sabbath implies, in the 
first instance, an abstinence from servile labour. It is 
intended,, emphatically, to be a day of rest : a day in which 
the chains of slavery are to be stricken off, and the labouring 
world to enjoy repose. It is decided in the word of God that 
six days in seven are sufficient for the accomplishment of our 
secular business ; and the experience of ail past time demon- 
strates the correctness of the decision. Men of observation 
have found it always beneficial, upon the whole, to abstain 
from labour on the sabbath day. " Though," remarks the 
learned and pious sir Matthew Hale, "my hands and mind 
have been as full of business, both before and since I was 
made judge, perhaps, as any man's in England ; yet I never 
wanted time in my six days, to fit myself for the business 
and employment I had to do, though I borrowed not a minute 
from Sunday to accomplish it in. But on the other hand, if 
I had at any time borrowed from this day for my secular 
employments, I found it furthered me less than if I had let it 
alone ; and, therefore, when some years of experience, upon 
a most attentive and vigilant observation, had given me this 
instruction, I determined never, in this kind, to make a brea'ch 
upon the Lord's day, which I have strictly observed for 
more than thirty years." 

9. Nor should we, on the holy sabbath, merely abstain 
from servile labour ; but also from dissipating amusements. 
Jaunts of pleasure, paying and receiving visits, reading 
novels, plays, and every kind of recreation, not having for 
its object health, or spiritual edification, is entirely incon- 
sistent with the character of the Lord's day. 

1. Resorting on Sundays to public places for amusements 
and conversation, is a practice pregnant with the greatest 

8. What does the observance of the sabbath imply ? 

9. What besides servile labour should we abstain from on the sabbath? 
1. What is resorting to places of amusement on Sundays productive 

of? 



178 



A SYSTEM OF 



mischief. Like a devouring vortex, it draws into its horrid 
influence both the temporal and eternal interests of its victims. 
The linger of scorn should point at those, who, instead of 
keeping holy the sabbath day, pervert it to purposes of 
amusements and dissipation ; and should this not bring them 
to a sense of their obligations, the penalties of the violated 
law should be administered. 

2. The due observance of the sabbath, however, not only 
implies an abstinence from labour and dissipation, but also 
works of charity and piety. " If," saith God, " thou turn 
away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on 
my holy day ; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of 
the Lord, honourable ; and shalt honour him, not doing thine 
own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine 
own words : then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord ; and 
I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and 
feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father : for the 
mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." 

3. The obligations to remember the sabbath day, and keep 
it holy, arise from the benignity of the institution, and the 
authority by which it was ordained. 

4. Even under the disadvantages of an imperfect ob- 
servance, this ordinance, in every age, has contributed to 
human happiness. Compelled by the circumstances of our 
being as we are, "in the sweat of our face to eat bread all 
the days of our life," the periodical intermission of labour is 
necessary to our comfort. Professors of the healing art, 
who have professionally examined the subject, have shown, 
with great force of argument, that so essential to the health 
and vivacity of the labouring class is the stated recurrence 
of a day of rest, that for its discontinuance nothing can make 
amends. So evident is this fact, that enlightened natrons, in 

2. What else does the observance of the sabbath imply ? 

3. From what do the obligations of the sabbath arise ? 

4. Is the observance of the sabbath beneficial to health ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY* 



179 



every age, have made the subject of relaxation a matter of 
solicitous attention. Games, festivals, and publick celebra- 
tions were, to the ancient Greeks and Romans, a fruitful 
source of legislative enactments. And there probably is not 
a single nation upon earth, at the present time, who does not, 
in some form or other, recognize the importance of the prin- 
ciple, by making similar provisions. 

5. Even in a financial point of view the observance of the 
holy sabbath is productive of great benefit. Experience has 
long shewn that unremitting toil breaks down the stoutest 
spirits, and extinguishes the most effective motives to exertion. 
Every individual, compelled by the force of circumstances to 
labour without days of rest, finds the effect is, not only a 
decay of strength, but also a diminution of the aggregate 
amount of productive effort. Health, strength, genius, and 
all the functions of the mind and body, are inevitably pros- 
trated by unremitting toil. He that labours faithfully six 
days, and rests the seventh, will:, in a given time, accomplish 
more than if he were to labour without intermission during 
the whole period. The institution of the holy sabbath is 
adapted exactly to the organization of human nature. Like 
the recurrence of balmy night, it frees the mind from cor- 
roding cares, disinthrals the body from servile labour, and 
prepares it for returning efforts. 

6. Nor can it be denied that the periodical recurrence of a 
day of rest is friendly to the cultivation of the domestic 
virtues. The conjugal, parental, and filial feelings are all 
cherished by the observance of the sabbath. Freed from the 
cares and labours of the week, the family, collecting around 
the social hearth, forms a circle, in which the tender and 
delightful feelings are enjoyed in the freshness of a new 
creation. Enviable, indeed, is the privilege of that domestic 
circle, which, escaping from the toils of life, repose on the 

5. Does the observance of the sabbath increase productive labour ? 

6. Is the observance of the sabbath friendly to the domestic virtues ? 



ISO 



A SYSTEM OF 



holy sabbath in the bosom of peace and love. In this enjoy- 
ment the peasant is equal to the monarch. With his children 
at his knees, and the partner of his cares and loves at his side, 
he may enjoy a day of rest, no less refreshing to his heart, 
than to his body. 

7. The regular recurrence of the holy sabbath, and the 
benignity of its character, are well adapted to induce a 
preparation to meet it. Cleanliness, cheerfulness, moral and 
intellectual improvement, are the natural results of its ap- 
pointment. The neat and well arranged apartments of the 
mansion ; the quiet and cheerful aspects of the family ; and 
the intercourse of congenial and tranquil minds, tend alike 
to the improvement of the understanding, and the solace of 
the heart. 

8. Nor are the benefits of the sabbath confined to the 
domestic circle ; but are intended to extend, without restric- 
tion, to the world. On that day of sacred rest the house of 
God is open for the reception of all. There the word of life, 
and the sublime mysteries of redemption, are dispensed for 
the edification of all who will receive them. The business- 
of an active world is laid aside, and we are invited to worship 
our heavenly Father, in the beauty of holiness. Every thing 
around us exhorts us to the house of prayer ; and in that 
house we may realize, u That they who wait upon the Lord 
shall renew their strength ; they shall mount up with wings, 
as eagles ,* they shall run and not be weary ; and they shall 
walk and not faint."* 

9. Besides the important and manifold advantages offered 
by the sacred sabbath, the observance of this holy day is 
required in the most solemn and emphatic manner. " Re- 

7. Is the observance of the sabbath friendly to domestic neatness ? 

8. In what other respect is the observance of the sabbath beneficial ? 

9. Is the observance of the sabbath positively required ? 



* Is. 40:31. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY » 



181 



member the sabbath, to keep it holy," saith God. " Six days 
shalt thou labour, and do all thy work : but the seventh day 
is the sabbath of the Lord thy God ; in it thou shalt not do 
any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man. 
servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger 
that is within thy gates; for in six days the Lord made 
heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested 
the seventh day ; wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, 
and hallowed it."* 

1. This precept was evidently intended to be perpetual in 
its obligations. It is so in its very nature. " It was de- 
signed," says Dr. Dwight, " to give the laborious classes of 
mankind an opportunity of resting from toil — to enjoin a 
commemoration of the wisdom, power, and goodness of God 
in the creation of the universe— to furnish an opportunity of 
increasing holiness in man, while in a state of innocence — 
and to furnish an opportunity to fallen man of acquiring 
holiness, and of obtaining salvation. In every one of these 
respects, the sabbath is equally useful, important, and neces- 
sary to every child of Adam." 

2. The observance of the holy sabbath is so intimately 
connected with the exigencies of human beings; so admirably 
adapted to promote their temporal and eternal interests ; and 
so distinctly and emphatically enjoined in the holy scriptures; 
that the perpetuity of its obligations cannot be doubted for a 
single moment. The ordinance instituting and regulating 
the periodical recurrence of a day of rest, and of public 
worship, must be admitted, by every one who has taken the 
necessary pains to examine the matter, to stand among the 
wisest and kindest institutions. On this subject we have, 
directly or indirectly, the suffrage of the world. By every 

1. Are the obligations of the sabbath perpetual? 

2. What prove the obligations of the sabbath to be perpetual? 

* Ex. 20:8— 11. 
16 



182 



A SYSTEM OF 



nation under heaven, from the creation, down to the present 
time, have institutions more or less analogous to that of the 
holy sabbath been observed. And we hazard nothing in the 
assertion, that if every thing of the kind was obliterated from 
the observance of human beings, there would be left a dreary 
blank, which the highest efforts of their united wisdom could 
never fill. 

3. The fourth external duty which we owe to God is 
attendance on public worship. 

4. This consists in humbly acknowledging our sins before 
God — rendering thanks for the great benefits we have received 
at his hands — setting forth his most worthy praise — hearing 
his most holy word — and asking those things which are 
requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. # 

5. The public worship of God may be considered in a 
two-fold point of light : as external and internal. 

6. The external part of public worship should be so con- 
ducted as to promote, in the highest possible degree, the only 
and proper feelings of this sacred service. 

7. " Keep thy foot," saith Solomon, " when thou goest to 
the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give 
the sacrifice of fools. "f The design of these words is to 
persuade us to approach with humble reverence, both of body 
and mind, into God's immediate presence ; to conduct our- 
selves, during the* time of public worship, with becoming 
decency and devotion ; and to shew, by our outward actions, 
our inward sense of the divine majesty and glory. " Let 

3. Which is the fourth external duty that we owe to God ? 

4. In what does public worship consist ? 

5. How may public worship be considered ? 

6. How should public worship be conducted ? 

7. What is a summary description of the manner in which public 
worship should be conducted ? 

* Book of Common Prayer. t Eccles. 5:1. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



188 



all things," saith the apostle Paul, " be done decently, and in 
order."* 

8. For the acceptable performance of public worship, we 
should be at the place of its celebration in due time. The 
practice of arriving after the commencement of divine service 
is highly reprehensible. It indicates a state of feeling utterly 
incompatible with true devotion. Were we animated by 
proper motives, instead of reluctantly repairing to the house 
of God, it would be the place of our chief delight. Like the 
psalmist, our souls would long, yea, even faint for the courts 
of the Lord ; our heart and our flesh would cry out for the 
living God.t And this delinquency, besides indicating an 
improper state of feeling, interferes with the devotion of 
others. The noise and confusion consequent on late arrivals 
at the house of prayer, often render unintelligible the most 
important and interesting portions of the service. So great, 
indeed, is this annoyance, in many places, that nearly half 
the service is performed before the congregation is assembled 
and composed. And that, under the influence of such a 
nuisance, much of the power and efficacy of social and divine 
worship is neutralized, no one can doubt for a single moment* 

9. Nor should we presume to enter the house of God 
without indicating, in the most decided manner, our sense of 
its appropriation. Being the residence of the Most High ; the 
place where he records his name, and makes known to 
human beings the riches of his love, it is incumbent on us, 
with every external sign of reverence to tread his sacred 
courts. Knowing that the " Preparations of the heart, as 
well as the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord,":): we 
ought, even before the commencement of public worship, 
secretly to implore his aid. Under a conviction that holiness 
becometh the house of God forever,, we should seek the 

8. What is pre-requisite to the performance of public worship? 

9. How should we enter the house of God? 

* 1 Cor. 14:40, t Ps. 84:2. X Prov. 16:1. 



184 



A SYSTEM OF 



sanctifying influences of h is grace, that we may be enabled 
to wash our hands in innocence, and compass acceptably his 
holy altar. 

1. Our demeanour, during the process of divine worship, in 
all respects, should be solemn and appropriate. Unimportant 
as the conduct of individuals, in the celebration of the divine 
service, may appear, it is always productive of good or evil. 
As surrounding objects seldom fail to exert an influence upon 
the mind, it is a matter of great importance that those objects, 
in the house of God, should be calculated to produce good 
impressions. Every one, adverting to his own feelings? 
knows that an improper occurrence in the place of prayer 
tends immediately to injure the spirit of devotion. The 
misbehaviour of a single person not unfrequently mars the 
service of a whole assembly. And on the other hand, 
solemn and impressive objects greatly predispose the mind to 
devout affections. .When Jacob beheld the angels of God 
ascending and descending in obedience to his will, he ex- 
claimed, " How dreadful is this place ! this is none other but 
the house of God, and -this is the gate of heaven."* 

2. In listening to the word of God, instead of graduating 
our attention to it by adventitious circumstances, it should be 
graduated by the dignity and importance of the message. 
The minister, speaking not in his own name, but in. the name 
of him who sent him, ought, according to the apostle Paul, 
to be accounted as the ambassador of Christ. f Ordained 
and consecrated to the ministry of reconciliation, he, while 
in the discharge of his official functions, is the representative 
of the son of God. Commissioned from the court of heaven, 
he comes not to treat of trifles ; but to preach Christ, and him 
crucified. He is not charged with doctrines the people have 

1. What should be our demeanour in the house of worship? 

2. How should we listen to the word of God? 



* Gen. 28:17. t 2 Cor. 5:20. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY* 



185 



a right to receive or reject, according to their own whim or 
pleasure, but with those which are emphatically the " Savor 
of life unto life, or of death unto death."* 

3. To complete the round of public worship, decently and 
in order, we ought to remain a few moments, after its 
termination-, in private prayer. The practice of rising upon 
our feet the instant the benediction is pronounced, and rush- 
ing from the sanctuary with an air of irreverence and pre- 
cipitance, is exceedingly reprehensible. Lightness in the 
house of God, even at the conclusion of public worship, will 
certainly, though, perhaps, imperceptibly, lessen our reverence 
for that holy place, and consequently diminish the efficacy of 
this sacred ordinance. 

4. The excellence of public worship consists, however, not 
so much in the grandeur of its ceremonies; the elevation of 
its ritual ; the costliness of its temples, or even in the decorum 
of its ministrations, as in the purity and spirituality of its 
nature. " God is a spirit, and they that worship him must 
worship him in spirit and in truth." f 

5. In the celebration of public worship, no quality is 
more requisite for human beings than a sense of their un- 
worthiness* This, indeed, is indispensable. Acknowledg- 
ments expressed in the most tender and pathetic language ; 
prayers and praises adorned with the richest diction ; 
ceremonies surpassing even the splendour of Jewish and 
pagan worship, will be less than nothing, in the view of 
God, unless accompanied with deep and unfeigned penitence. 
For the want of this nothing can atone. " The Lord," saith 
the prophet, " hath respect unto the lowly, but the proud he 
knoweth afar off.":): " He dwells in the high and holy place, 

3. How should we complete the round of public worship? 

4. In what does the excellence of public worship consist? 

5. Is a deep sense of our unworthiness necessary ? 

* 2 Cor. 2:16. t John 4:24. t Ps. 138: 6. 

16* 



186 



A SYSTEM OF 



and with him also that is of a contrite spirit ; to revive the 
spirit of the humble, and to cheer the hearts of the contrite 
ones."* 

6. To a sense of our unworthiness must be added /er»oi/r. 
The unbounded riches of divine goodness ; the short and un- 
certain continuance of human existence; the never-ending 
duration of our future being; the tremendous punishments 
which await the incorrigible, and the glorious rewards re- 
served in heaven for the just, all tend, or should tend, to ani- 
mate us in the performance of the divine service. With these 
considerations pressing upon our minds, it would seem im- 
possible to be languid in the house of prayer. Shall we, in- 
deed, be active in every thing but in the service of our Crea- 
tor? shall our hearts burn and glow to the fading beauties 
of created things, and possess no sensibility to the excellence 
of him who made us? No, certainly! With bosoms filled 
with the purest love, we should kindle into rapture in the 
worship of our Creator. Devotion, purer than the vestal 
flame, rising from the altar of our hearts, and ascending to 
the highest heavens, should inspire even the angelic hosts 
with fresher and sublimer strains. Do we, for a single mo- 
ment, feel languid in the house of prayer, let us contem- 
plate the bloody passion and painful death of " Christ cruci- 
fied." Let us behold him in the garden of Gethsemane, 
praying in an agony, till he sweat as it were great drops 
of blood falling down to the ground. Let us follow him 
to the cross, and listen to him interceding for a guilty 
world, and crying out "It is finished; it is done;" and 
surely the affecting scene will not fail to warm and animate 
our minds ; to kindle in us an ardour, strong as our necessi- 
ties, and enduring as our wants. 

7. The scriptures, by every argument that can sway the 

6. Is fervour in the performance of public worship important? 

7. Do the scriptures offer motives to fervour? 

* Is. 57:15. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



187 



judgment, and by every consideration that can affect the 
heart, exhort us to fervency of spirit in serving the Lord. 
" O, come," saith the psalmist, " let us worship, and bow 
down: let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker."* " Enter 
into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with 
praise; be thankful unto him, and bless his name. "f 

8. To fervour should be added a solemn and enlightened 
recognition of the divine perfections. True piety does not 
consist in the effervescence of an heated imagination, nor in 
the outpourings of excited passions, but in clear and correct 
views of the divine Being, and corresponding acknowledg- 
ments of his perfections. That view of God which enables 
us to approach him as our heavenly Father, in the full as- 
surance that his ears are open to our prayers, and his hands 
are ready to administer to our wants — that extends beyond 
the limits of mortality, and- opens to us the realities of an- 
other world — that embraces the lamb of God not only in the 
manger, and on the mount of transfiguration, but in his ago- 
nies upon the cross, expiating the sins of a guilty world — 
that recognizes, with dread and overwhelming awe, the es- 
sence of the divine majesty, in which s-hine forth the splen- 
dours of the incomprehensible trinity — that unfolds the mighty 
movements of the universe, guided by the hand of God to 
that eventful crisis, when the heavens and the earth shall pass 
away with a great noise — that discloses the Eternal, seated 
upon his great white throne, fixing irrevocably the fate of 
angels and of men — is indispensable to the right performance 
of his worship. 

9. To a solemn and enlightened recognition of the divine 
perfections must be added love. All our oblations, however 
splendid in the view of men, will, without this, be unavailing 
in the sight of God. It is that feeling which responds to the 

8. Is a recognition of God's perfections necessary ? 

9. Is love for God important in his worship? 

* Ps. 95:6. t lb. 100:4. 



188 



A SYSTEM OF 



beauties of the divine character; that appreciates, in its full 
extent, the goodness of our heavenly Father, which sancti- 
fies and renders acceptable our public service. In the esti- 
mation of him who demands the homage of our hearts, no- 
thing can be substituted for love. All the gold of Ophir, and 
the cattle upon a thousand hills ; all the sacrifices, offerings, 
and burnt offerings, that ever smoked upon the Jewish altar; 
and all the pomp and splendour of pagan superstition, are, 
in the sight of God, less than the dust of the balance, if not 
accompanied with a burning and animating love for his sa- 
cred character. 

1. In the celebration of public worship, we should enter- 
tain for the divine Being a regard, not only for his relative 
goodness, but also for his intrinsic excellence. In this re- 
spect he is entitled to peculiar affection. We are attached to 
other beings for the relation they bear to us ; or because, in 
some way or other, they are destined to contribute to our 
happiness ; or because they reflect, in some degree, the love- 
liness of their heavenly Father; but we should love God on 
account of his inherent excellence. The fountain of all good- 
ness ; the perfection of every excellence ; and the prototype 
of moral beauty, as he is, he is entitled, upon the ground of 
intrinsic and transcendent goodness, to our supreme affec- 
tion. The language of our hearts should be, " Whom have 
I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I de- 
sire besides thee." 

2. Such a love for-God is necessary to the acceptable ce- 
lebration of his worship. It is founded on the principle of 
eternal justice; gives vigour and animation in the perform- 
ance of divine service, and renders the duties of the sanc- 
tuary pleasing and delightful. Burning upon the altar of our 
hearts, it melts down the asperities of our depravity, assi- 

1. How should we love the divine Being? 

2. Is such love for God necessary in his worship ? 



MOEAL PHILOSOPHY. 



189 



milates us to the image of our heavenly Father, and enables 
us to worship God in the beauty of holiness. 

3. To love we should add reverence. The instant we 
enter his holy house, we should realize with . Jacob, "How 
dreadful is this place. It is none other than the house of 
God, and the gate of heaven." Ours should be the feelings 
of the Hebrews, when, at the dedication of the temple, they 
bowed themselves, with their faces to the ground, upon the 
pavement, and worshipped and praised God. In all our ap- 
proaches to the divine Majesty, and especially in the house 
of worship, " His fear should fall upon us, and his excel- 
lency make us afraid." " God," saith inspiration, " is greatly 
to be feared in the assembly of his saints, and to be had in 
reverence of all that are about him."* 

4. We are bound to the performance of social and divine 
worship, because the service in itself is reasonable — furnishes 
a good example to the community in which we live — exerts 
a salutary influence upon those around us — protects us from 
many perils — affords efficient and important means for im- 
provement — contributes greatly to our happiness — and is po- 
sitively required in the holy scriptures. 

5. It will be impossible, in a proper view of the relations 
we bear to God, not to perceive the reasonableness of ren- 
dering him public worship. We are as intimately related to 
him in our social, as we are in our individual condition. The 
ligaments that bind us to one another, and all the benefits re- 
sulting from the social compact, are produced by his arrange- 
ments. Every consideration that urges us to worship God 
as solitary individuals, also urges us to worship him as social 
creatures. In whatever capacity we are placed by the opera- 

S. Is reverence necessary in public worship? 

4. What is the summary of our obligations to worship God? 

5. What is the first reason for public worship? 



190 



A SYSTEM OF 



tions of his government, we are bound in that capacity to 
offer him our homage. Every public favour that is needed, 
and every public benefit that is bestowed, demands the public 
aspirations of our hearts. In the same form that a benefit is 
needed or bestowed, should that benefit be asked or acknow- 
ledged. 

6. Nor is the public celebration of divine worship only 
reasonable in itself, but contributes greatly to the general 
welfare. Wherever this duty is neglected, confusion, and 
every evil work, invariably prevail. In the character of 
communities regularly attending on the service of the sanc- 
tuary, and in that of those who neglect it, there is as broad 
a difference as there is between light and darkness. So evi- 
dently attested is the correctness of this statement, that every 
individual, of ordinary information, admits it without hesi- 
tance. 

7. If the performance of public worship contributes to the 
general interest, an attendance upon it sets before the com- 
munity a good example. Nor will the example, in any case, 
be inoperative. Man is naturally an imitative creature, and, 
almost without exception, follows the example which is set 
before him. Upon this principle, the conduct of every hu- 
man being is productive of good or evil. The results of our 
example will not be confined by the narrow limits of mor- 
tality, but will extend through the interminable ages of eter- 
nity. Long after we shall have descended to the silent tomb, 
the effects of our conduct in the present life will be a beacon 
to guide the rising generations to the haven of future peace, 
or a rock on which they will forever perish. And surely no 
circumstance can operate upon our feelings with keener force, 
even in the "regions of perdition, than a recollection that we 
had been the unhappy instruments of seducing from the 
paths of happiness our friends and relatives. 

6. What is the second reason for public worship ? 

7. What is deduced from the above premises ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



191 



8. Nor will a general attendance on public worship fail to 
exert a salutary influence even in the temple of God. What- 
ever may be the abstract power of religious obligations, we 
know, by our own experience, that we are encouraged in 
the performance of duty by the countenance of multitudes. 
If, on entering the house of prayer, we- discover only a few 
assembled for religious service, the effect, infallibly, is dis- 
couraging. The thought naturally occurs, " Can that be im- 
portant in which so few take an interest ? Surely, if religion 
were what it claims to be, its votaries would be more con- 
sistent." But when the house of God is crowded with ador- 
ing multitudes, and the solemn harmonies of his worship is 
performed by many, the result is always animating. The 
soul, in contemplating the objects, the interests, and the ap- 
pearance of such a scene, seems to catch the fire of another 
world, and with more than mortal ardour to join in the 
praise of him who hath loved them, and washed them from 
their sins in his own blood, and hath made them kings and 
priests to God and his Father. That the union of many 
minds in the worship of their Creator is productive of an in- 
tensity of feeling, of which private devotion is not suscep- 
tible, is a fact founded in the organization of human nature. 
So sure as we are sympathetic in our feelings, the mingling 
of our devotions in the house of God is calculated to excite 
and strengthen our fervour. Though the worship of the true 
God is the result only of divine grace, yet is this grace gen- 
erally communicated by the agency of material things ; and 
its impression upon our hearts is more or less effective, in 
proportion to the adaptation of the things to the intended ob- 
ject. If, then, large assemblies, engaged in the divine ser- 
vice, contribute to its solemnity and impressiveness, it is in 
the power of every one to increase the efficacy of this ordin- 
ance ; and in neglecting to do so, he becomes guilty in pro- 

8. What is the third reason for public worship? 



192 



A SYSTEM OP 



portion to the amount of good the performance of this duty- 
would have produced. This fact, unimpressive as it now is, 
will, at some future period, he felt differently. When the 
long chain of causes and effects, which had been operating 
on human character, is exhibited in the final audit, it will be 
seen that the absence of individuals from the house of God 
had been productive of immeasurable mischief. 

9. Nor will the regular attendance on the celebration of 
divine service fail to protect us from many perils. In ab- 
senting ourselves from the house of worship, on the holy 
sabbath, we are sure to be exposed to danger. Amusements, 
intrusive company, secular reading, and a thousand other 
evils, will continually solicit our attention ; and if not dis- 
carded, as they ought to be, will acquire over us a perni- 
cious influence. Who, we ask, are those that disregard the 
holy sabbath ? that, spending their time in scenes of dissipa- 
tion, neglect their families, their business, and their health ? 
The answer is, those who are inattentive to public worship. 
Among these are that portion of the community who exhibit, 
in their daily conduct, the most disgusting vices. Nor is this 
surprising. If individuals will avoid the exhibition of the 
divine precepts, and pursue a course calculated to deaden 
the moral sense, the acquisition of vicious and destructive 
habits will be the natural and inevitable consequence. 

1. A due regard to public worship will not only protect us 
from many perils, but also furnish important means for 
mental and moral improvement. The simple acts of pre- 
paring decently a family for the duties of the sanctuary, and 
mingling with the worshippers of* God, in his holy house, 
never fail to exert a beneficial influence. And if circum- 
stances, which are merely accidental, are salutary, the per- 
formance of the duty itself will be abundantly more so. To 

9. What is the fourth reason for public worship? 
1. What is the fifth reason for public worship? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



193 



confess to Almighty God our manifold sins and wickedness ; 
to implore the exercise of his infinite benignity and mercy ; 
to render him the homage of our grateful and adoring hearts; 
and to listen to his holy word, cannot, in the nature of 
things, but exercise over us a moral and restraining influ- 
ence. And when to these considerations are added the di- 
vine promises, there can be but little need of multiplying ar- 
guments to prove the beneficial effects of social and divine 
worship. 

2. Nor is this service less delightful than beneficial. To . 
perform the worship of that high and holy Being, who is, 
emphatically, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long suffer- 
ing, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for 
thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin, is one of 
the most delightful exercises in which we can engage. In the 
performance of this duty, sentiments of love and adoration 
are excited for our heavenly Father; pity and compassion 
for our fellow-creatures; and prospects of peace and ever- 
lasting happiness are opened for ourselves. Hence exclaimed 
the psalmist, " A day in thy courts is better than a thousand. 
I had rather be a door keeper in the house of my God, than 
to dwell in the tents of wickedness."* 

3. But the most impressive and conclusive reason for the 
celebration of social and divine worship is found in the re- 
quirement of the holy scriptures. To the Hebrews it was 
said, "The Lord who brought you up out of the land of 
Egypt with great power, and a stretched out arm, hiirr shall 
ye fear, and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do 
sacrifice."! These are the words of him who " speaks and 
it is done; who commands and it stands fast forever." The 
remembrance of this fact alone is sufficient, we should think, 

2. What is the sixth reason for public worship ? 

3. What is the seventh reason for public worship? 



* Ps. 84:10. 



t 2 Kings 17:36. 
17 



194 



A SYSTEM OF 



to induce obedience in every enlightened and considerate 
mind. To resist the authority of him who rules the uni- 
verse; of him who kills and makes alive; who exalts to 
heaven and thrusts down to hell, is an act of the greatest 
folly. "Woe," says God, "unto the wicked; it shall be ill 
with him; for the reward of his hands shall be given him."* 
And the accomplishment of this denunciation is often wit- 
nessed, in part, even in the present life. The neglecters of 
divine worship not unfrequently imbibe sentiments, acquire 
habits, and indulge vices, which result not only in the loss 
of property, of health, and of reputation, but also of life it- 
self. Nor are the evils proceeding from this delinquency 
confined to individuals, but extend to whole communities. 
The disregard of the apostolical injunction, " Forsake not 
the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of 
some is,"f has introduced, not only into the domestic circle, 
a consuming canker, which has corroded and poisoned, at the 
fountain head, domestic morals and domestic happiness, but 
led to the destruction of entire nations. Corrupting the 
life spring of the social compact, it spreads through all the 
ramifications of the body politic a rapid and deadly poison. 
The feelings which incline us to absent ourselves from public 
worship aim alike at the destruction of the altar and the 
throne; %t public morals and social order; at present pros- 
perity and eternal happiness. 

4. The fifth external duty that we owe to God is the re- 
ception of the holy sacraments. These are baptism and the 
lord's supper. 

,5. Baptism, in its original acceptation, signified the appli- 
cation of water for religious purposes. Among the Jews it 

4. What is the fifth external duty that we owe to God? 

5. What is the original meaning of baptism? 



* Is. 3:11. 



t Heb. 10:25. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



195 



was constantly understood and practiced in this general sense. 
Sometimes they plunged their whole bodies into water, and 
at other, times their hands and clothes only. In receiving a 
proselyte to their communion, they not only circumcised 
him, but washed him with pure water, calling the ablution 
baptism, whereby he was made a new creature. From being 
a slave he now became a freeman, and his natural relations 
were no longer owned as such. The ceremonies of the 
Jews abounded with religious washings. Moses commanded 
them to wash their garments, and to purify themselves with 
water, by way of preparing for the reception of the law. 
The priests and levites, before entering upon the perform- 
ance of their sacerdotal functions, washed themselves; and 
all legal pollutions were cleansed by the application of water, 
in conformity with prescribed rules. Besides these baptisms, 
John the Baptist introduced another. But to this baptism 
the virtue of a sacrament was not attributed: it was used 
merely as preparatory to the christian dispensation. St. 
Chrysostom calls it a bridge, which, as it were, made way 
from the baptism of the Jews to that of Christ's. It was su- 
perior in dignity to the first, and inferior to the second. 
Among those who are born of women, said Jesus Christ, 
there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist ; but he 
that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. 

6. But from all these baptisms the one in question is dif- 
ferent. Christ having commanded his apostles to go into all 
the world, and preach his gospel to every creature, required 
them to administer baptism, not only as a badge of their dis- 
cipleship, but as an initiatory sacrament of the new cove- 
nant. 

7. Considering the ceremony in this light, it comprehends 
two parts : — the outward visible sign, and the inward spi- 

6. Is the christian baptism different from those which have been men- 
tioned ? 

7, How many parts does the christian baptism comprehend? 



196 



A SYSTEM OF 



ritual grace. In the outward visible sign three things are in- 
cluded : — the application of water — the application of water 
in the name of the Father, and of the son, and of the holy 
ghost — -and the application of water by a lawful adminis- 
trator. 

8. Water, in the sacrament of baptism, is essential. " Ex- 
cept," saith Jesus Christ, " a man be born of water, and of the 
spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."* Philip, 
after instructing the eunuch in the nature of his duties, com- 
manded his chariot to stand still, and they went down both 
into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized 
him.f Peter seeing that the holy ghost had fallen upon the 
gentiles, answered and said, " Can any man forbid water, 
that these should not be baptized, who have received the holy 
ghost, as well as we?"J From these authorities it appears 
that water is an essential part of baptism ; and how any one, 
believing in the inspiration of the holy scriptures, can deny 
it, is to us incomprehensible. No fact is stated with greater 
clearness in the New Testament, than that the apostles, in 
obedience to Jesus Christ, employed water in the administra- 
tion of baptism. 

9. But the application of water in the name of the Father, 
and of the son, and of the holy ghost, is another circumstance, 
essential to the validity of this sacrament. We have in the 
acts of the apostles, it is true, an account of persons being 
baptized in the name of " Jesus Christ,"§ and in the name 
of the " Lord Jesus ;"f| but these instances furnish no proof 
that baptism performed, simply, in the name of Christ is 
valid. In the institution of the sacrament of baptism, the 
method of its administration is prescribed, by divine authority, 
and we have no right to depart from a single item of the pre- 

8. Is water, in the sacrament of baptism, essential? 

9. In whose names should we be baptized? 

f John 3:5. t Acts 8.38. t lb. 10:47. $ lb. 2:38. II lb. 19:5. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



19? 



seription. The same authority which instituted the ordinance, 
also prescribed the manner in which it should be administer- 
ed, and we are under the same obligations to observe the lat- 
ter, that we are to recognize the former. When God, in the 
plenitude of his sovereignty, institutes an ordinance for our 
benefit, it is incumbent on us to observe it, in all its circum- 
stances. We have no right to dispense with even the small- 
est incident with which it is invested ; but are bound to re- 
ceive it, precisely, as God gave it. Consequently, as Christ 
said to his apostles, " Go ye, therefore, into all the world, 
and preach my gospel to every creature ; baptizing them in 
the name of the Father, and of the son, and of the holy 
ghost," we are under obligations to receive the ordinance of 
baptism in these names. 

1. Respecting the two passages to which we have alluded, 
w ; e may remark, in the first place* they are ambiguous* 
Baptizing in the name of Christ, may signify either baptizing 
in his name only, or baptizing by his authority, and in con- 
formity with his requirement. In the passages alluded to, 
the latter, not improbably, was the fact. The persons bap- 
tized, submitting to the sacrament of baptism because Jesus 
Christ had commanded the observance of the ordinance, 
were said to be baptized in his name. In the concise des- 
cription of events, in the holy scriptures, circumstances are 
often omitted. 

2. But be this -as it may, we may remark, in the second 
place, that negative passages, in the holy scriptures, can 
never neutralize positive precepts. Christ, in the institution 
of baptism, pointed out the manner in which it should be 
administered with circumstantial minuteness; and if, in the 
record of the administration of this ordinance, some of its 
original circumstances be omitted, it is evident that this omis- 
sion can not render those circumstances nugatory. 

1. What is the character of the two passages just alluded to? 

2. Can negative passages neutralize positive precepts ? 

17* 



106 



A SYSTEM OF 



3. Baptism implies not only the application of water, and 
the application of it in the name of the Father, and of the 
son, and of the holy ghost, but also the application of it by 
a lawful administrator. There is not a single instance in the 
scriptures of an individual presuming to administer this 
sacrament without being first ordained to the ministry. " No 
man," saith an apostle, " taketh this honour unto himself, but 
he that is called of God, as was Aaron."* Every act, ex- 
clusively ministerial, performed by persons not admitted to 
the priesthood according to the holy scriptures is, in respect 
to its validity, as though it had never been performed. An 
order of men having been set apart, by divine authority, ex- 
pressly for the performance of the sacerdotal functions, it is 
evident that men of this order only can perform them law- 
fully. A practice in contravention to this arrangement 
would be productive of the greatest mischief. It would sub- 
vert the principles of social order, and if persisted in, drive 
back society to its original elements. And acts, productive 
of such results, can never meet the divine approbation. 
" God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all 
churches of the saints. "f 

4. Such being the outward visible sign of baptism, we 
will, in the second place, consider the inward spiritual 
grace. 

•5. The sacrament of baptism, in its spiritual operation, 
constitutes us, in the first instance, members of the christian 
church. "By one spirit," saith an apostle, "are we all 
baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, 
whether we be bond or free."J And in reference to indivi- 
duals who had become the subjects of this ordinance, the 

3. Is a lawful administrator essential? 

4. What will we next consider? 

5. What is baptism in its spiritual operation? 



» Heb. 5:4. 



t ICor. 14:33. 



t lb. 12:13. 



MOEAL PHILOSOPHY. 



199 



same apostle remarked, "now ye are the body of Christy 
and members in particular."* 

6. In the second place it constitutes us relatively the children 
of God ; or in other words, translates us from an uncovenant 
into a covenant relation ; from a state of nature into a con- 
dition of grace. Hence the Jews, who had received the or- 
dinance of circumcision, were called the children of God. 
" Ye are the children of the Lord your God," said Moses, 
" and shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness be- 
tween your eyes for the dead."f 

7. The phrase, " children of God," in the holy scrip- 
tures, is susceptible of different interpretations. It, however, 
generally means, either a translation from an uncovenant to 
a covenant state, or the renewal of our minds, by the influ- 
ence of divine grace, in righteousness and true holiness. In 
the former sense it is to be understood as the effect of bap- 
tism. In the non-reception of this ordinance we are in no 
covenant relation to God whatever; but by submitting to it 
we are incorporated into his family, and made his children 
by adoption and grace. 

8. In the third place, baptism constitutes us heirs of the 
kingdom of heaven ; or, in other words, entitles us to all the 
privileges and blessings of the new covenant, on condition 
of complying with its provisions. Before we receive the sa- 
crament of baptism we are "aliens from the commonwealth 
of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, hav- 
ing no hope, and without God in the world ;"£ but on the 
reception of this ordinance we become entitled, in virtue of 
the divine promises, to pardon, sanctification, the aids of the 
holy spirit, and eternal life, on condition of seeking them in 
the prescribed way.§ Baptism is not only an outward visible 

6. What is the second effect of baptism? 

7. What does the phrase children of God mean ? 

8. What is the third effect of baptism? 

* 1 Gor. 12:27, t Deut. 14:1. X Eph. 2:12. $ lb. 2:13—19. 



200 



A SYSTEM OF 



sign of an inward spiritual grace, but a means whereby wo 
receive the same, and a pledge to assure us thereof. " Bless- 
ed," saith Jesus Christ, "are they who do his command- 
ments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and 
may enter in through the gates into the city."* 

9. The obligations to receive the sacrament of baptism 
arise from its being an institution of Jesus Christ — from its 
edifying significance— from its being a profession of Christi- 
anity — a means of admission to the christian church — and a 
seal of the new covenant. 

• 1. " Go ye," said Jesus Christ to his apostles, " and teach 
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and 
of the son, and of the holy ghost. "f It is evident from this 
commission that the sacrament of baptism w T as instituted by 
the great head of the church. And possessing, as he did, 
all power in heaven and in earth, this fact is a decisive reason 
for receiving it. Nor was it only instituted by the son of 
God, but he commanded his apostles to administer it to every 
creature : consequently, every creature is bound to receive 
it. The obligations, in the latter case, are no less apparent 
than they are in the former. The administration of the sa- 
crament depending on the volition of the people, it must 
have been equally incumbent on them to receive it, as it was 
on the apostles to give it. 

2. Nor is it possible for an institution to be better fitted to 
its destination than the ordinance of baptism is. Transfer- 
ing its recipients, as it does, from an uncovenant to a cove- 
nant state ; from a state of nature to a condition of grace ; 
from the service of the world to the service of God, it is ad- 
mirably adapted to indicate the nature of the transfer. Every 

9. From what do the obligations to receive baptism arise ? 

1. How does it appear that baptism was instituted by Jesus Christ? 

2. How is baptism fitted to its destination? 



* Rev. 22:14. 



t Mat. 28:19. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



201 



circumstance connected with the ceremony is of deep and 
edifying import. The administrator is called of God, and 
set apart to his sacred service— the ordinance is performed in 
the name of the Father, and of the son, and of the holy 
ghost — and the element of water symbolizes the purifying, 
refreshing, and fertilizing influence of the spirit, to which 
the recipient is now devoted. We perceive in the adminis- 
tration of the sacrament no meretricious circumstance; no 
unmeaning ceremony ; no superfluous appendages ; but only 
a simple, appropriate, and dignified indication of the ends 
for which it is administered. L 

3. Baptism being a profession of Christianity, is, from this 
circumstance, of universal obligation. Christianity is not 
only true, but it is a system of divine truth, in which every 
living mortal is deeply interested. All the motives for be- 
lieving truth, and for seeking our own happiness, concentrate 
in reasons, for professing Christianity. " Whosoever shall 
confess me before men," saith Jesus Christ, " him will I 
confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But who- 
soever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before 
my Father which is in heaven."* 

4. This sacrament being the appointed means of admis- 
sion to the christian church, involves, on this account, ad- 
ditional obligations. If one individual may abstain from 
baptism, every one may ; and thus the church may become 
extinct. While the perpetuity of the church depends on the 
accession of new members, it will be the duty of every in- 
dividual to constitute a portion of that accession. That Christ 
designs the continuance of the church, and that the highest 
interests of the world require the accomplishment of this 
design, are positions too evident to be long questioned. 

3. From what next do our obligations to receive baptism arise ? 

4. From what do additional obligations to receive baptism arise? 



* Mat. 10:32, 33. 



202 



A SYSTEM OF 



" Upon this rock," said Jesus Christ, " I build my church ; 
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."* And to 
his apostles he said, " Lo, I am with you alway, even unto 
the end of the world. "f If the benefits which the christian 
church has already conferred upon the world were swept 
away, there would be nothing left but a dreary waste of 
misery and confusion. Whoever doubts the correctness of 
this statement may easily remove his doubts. Let him, men- 
tally, abstract from the earth all the science, literature, and 
improvements in the arts ; all the courtesy, intelligence, and 
civilization of man ; and all the temporal and spiritual com- 
forts of christians, the church has been instrumental in pro- 
ducing, and the amount, worth possessing, that will remain, 
will not fail to convince him, that of all the blessings which 
God has bestowed upon our race, the church is incomparably 
the greatest. In this single institution is concentrated the 
immensity of divine love; the unbounded resources of re- 
deeming goodness. If, then, Christ designs the perpetua- 
tion of his church; and if the highest interest of the world 
requires the fulfilment of the design ; and baptism is a means 
essential to the accomplishment of the event, the duty of 
submitting to this ordinance is obvious. 

5. To crown all, baptism is the appointed seal of the new 
covenant; the official confirmation of the charter of salva- 
tion. In the reception of this ordinance, all the promises of 
the gospel are secured to us, on the condition of repentance 
toward God, and faith in our lord Jesus Christ. When the 
people, on the day of pentecost, exclaimed, " Men and breth- 
ren, what shall we do? Peter said unto them, 1 Repent, and 
be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, 
for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the 
holy ghost.' "t 

5. Which is the last-mentioned source of obligation to receive bap- 
tism? 

* Mat. 16:18. t lb. 28:20, t Acts 2:38, 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



203 



6. Such being the reasons for receiving the holy sacra- 
ment of baptism, it evidently cannot be neglected with im- 
punity. If, indeed, the declaration be true, that whosoever 
ofFendeth in one point is guilty of all,* it will be impossible, 
in the neglect of this ordinance, to obtain salvation. Due 
allowance for invincible ignorance, and the influence of cir- 
cumstances over which we had no control, will undoubtedly 
be made : but God assuredly, in his own time, will vindicate 
the honour of the institution, by inflicting punishment upon 
those who had contumaciously neglected it. In the day of 
judgment he will say, " Because ye have set at nought all 
my counsel, and would none of my reproof I also will 
laugh at your calamity ; and mock when your fear cometh."f 

7. The other sacrament, demanding our attention, is some- 
times called the eucharist, the communion, and the lord's 
supper. It is called the eucharist, because it is an offering 
of thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God, for his un- 
bounded goodness in the redemption of mankind by the death 
of Christ — the communion, because it is the appointed me- 
dium through which God promises to bestow pardon and sal- 
vation upon those who receive it as they ought, a privilege 
in which all the members of the church have a common in- 
terest, and a badge of fellowship and brotherly love — the 
lord's supper, because it was instituted by our lord immedi- 
ately after supper ; that is, after eating the paschal lamb, 
which, according to its original institution, was about supper 
time. 

8. The valid administration of this sacrament implies three 
things. First, a minister called of God, and set apart for 

6. What will be the consequence of not receiving baptism? 

7. Which is the other sacrament demanding our attention? 

8. What does the valid administration of this sacrament imply? 



* James 2:10. 



t Prov. 1;26. 



204 



A SYSTEM OF 



this purpose. No man, saith an apostle, taketh this honour 
upon himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. 
Accordingly, the first administrators of this sacrament were 
all consecrated to the sacred ministry. " Jesus^ we are 
told, " took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it 
to his disciples."* And St. Paul said, " The cup of blessing 
which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of 
•Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion 
of the body of Christ -?"f Secondly, bread and wine: for 
the Lord Jesus, the same night he was betrayed, took bread, 
and, when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, take, 
eat; this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in re- 
membrance of me. After the same manner also he took the 
cup, and when he had supped, said, " This cup is the New 
Testament in my blood : this do ye."£ And thirdly, the 
consecration of these elements to sacramental purposes: for 
our lord sanctified the bread and wine before he gave them 
to his disciples. 

9. Respecting the nature of these elements, after conse- 
cration, there has been much misunderstanding. This 
probably arose in the Greek church, out of a misapprehen- 
sion relative to the worshipping of images; to correct which, 
the council of Constantinople decreed that the sacrament was 
the image of the body of Christ, in which the substance of 
the bread and wine remained. In reply to this decree, the 
second council of Nice declared, that after consecration the 
elements are not the image of Christ's body and blood ; but 
are properly and literally Christ himself; being really 
changed into the divine nature by the act of consecration. 

1. Thus originated the doctrine of the real -presence, 
which for ages has been the subject of controversy. The 

9. What is the nature of these elements after consecration? 

1. What is the authority by which transubstantiation is supported? 



• Mat. 26:26. 



t lCor. 10:16. 



X lb. 11:24, 25. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



205 



authority offered in confirmation of this opinion is the lan- 
guage of Jesus Christ at the institution of the sacrament : 
" This," said he, " is my body, and this is my blood." 

2. But this language is, unquestionably, figurative ; and 
only means that the consecrated elements are the image or 
representative of the body and blood of Christ. The figure 
of speech, here used, consists in the substitution of the thing 
signified j for the thing which signifies ; and is of very 
common occurrence in the holy scriptures. " This is my 
covenant," said God to Abraham, " which ye shall keep 
between me and you, and thy seed after thee— every man child 
among you shall be circumcised."*' In this instance circum- 
cision is called the covenant, although, strictly speaking, it was 
only the seal of the covenant. In like manner, Moses called 
the paschal lamb, the lord's passover,f notwithstanding it 
was merely a memorial of that event. This mode of speech 
arose, necessarily, from the language in which the scriptures 
were first written. The Hebrew and Syriac tongues had 
no terms equivalent to the phrases " to signify or denote" 
The Hebrews, therefore, say " it is" for it signifies. In 
Genesis, the seven kinds are, instead of they signify seven 
years ;± and in Daniel, the ten horns are,§ instead of they 
denote ten kings. And as Christ spoke in the Syriac tongue, 
he necessarily adopte'd this mode of speech, when he pro- 
nounced the words of the institution. His true and only 
meaning was, that the elements of bread and wine, after con- 
secration, were symbolical of his body and blood, which he 
intended to offer up as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. 
In accordance with this interpretation we have the testimony 
of our senses and the current of revelation. 

3. Nor are the writers of the first and purest ages of 
Christianity silent upon this point. As if intending to guard 

2- Is this authority conclusive ? 

3, What is the testimony of the fathers on this subject? 
* Gen. 17: 10. f Ex. 12: 11. t Gen. 41 : 25— 27. § Dan. 7: 24. 

18 



206 



A SYSTEM OF 



against the corruptions of future ages, they distinctly state 
that the act of consecration does not convert the elements 
into the actual body and blood of Christ, but only into sym- 
bols of his sacrifice and death upon the cross. Justin Mar- 
tyn calls the consecrated elements " bread and wine, and a 
nourishment that nourisheth." Irenseus, speaking of the 
bread, says, "it is a bread over which thanks are given; 
and that it consists of two things : one of which is earthly 
and the other heavenly." Tertullian says that " Christ did 
not reject bread, by which he represents his own body ; and 
that he gave the figure of his body to the bread." Origin 
observes, " we eat of the loaves which are set before us : 
which by prayers are become a holy body, that sanctifies 
those who use them with a sound purpose." u The elements 
after consecration," says Theodoret, " do not depart from 
their own nature, but continue their former substance, figure, 
and form, and may be seen and handled as before." And 
pope Gelasius declares that " the sacraments of the body and 
blood of Christ are divine things, so that by them we are 
made the. partakers of the divine nature ; and yet the sub- 
stance* of bread and wine, which are the image and resem- 
blance of Christ's body and blood, in this mystery, does not 
cease to exist." 

4. But in eschewing the doctrine of* transubstantiation, we 
should not run into the opposite extreme. Notwithstanding 
this doctrine is evidently erroneous: is in contradiction to 
the clear and unequivocal testimony of our senses — to the 
nature and object of a sacrament — to the tenour of revela- 
tion — and to the belief of the earliest and best informed 
fathers of the christian church ; yet it is incumbent on 
us to entertain for it the most profound and respectful senti- 
ments. Although the consecrated elements are not the very 
body and blood of Christ, they are a divinely instituted 
means for the ratification of the new covenant, the reception 

4. In renouncing transubstantiation what should we do ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY* 



207 



of the graces of the holy spirit, and the public profession of 
faith in Jesus Christ. 

5. Considered in this light, it is our duty to receive 
them with the most humble and pious feelings. By prayer, 
by meditation, and by the use of every means in our 
power, we should prepare for the reception of an ordinance 
so important and deeply interesting as that of the sacrament 
of our redemption by Jesus Christ, especially as we are as- 
sured by an apostle, " he that eateth and drinketh unwor- 
thily, eateth and drinketh condemnation to himself, not dis- 
cerning the Lord's body."* 

6. The sacrament of redemption, in the first place, should 
be received with the deepest reverence. Instituted as it was 
by the great head of the church, and intended to be a ratifi- 
cation of the new covenant, and a pledge of Jehovah's good 
will towards our fallen race, as well as a commemoration of 
the sufferings sustained by the son of God in the achieve- 
ment of our redemption, it is entitled to our most reverential 
regard. There is no transaction more awful and interesting 
than the reception of the holy eucharist. In this we ap- 
proach to the altar of the Most High, and, as it were, before 
the cross, in view of the sufferings and death of Christ, re- 
nounce our allegiance to the wicked one, profess to believe 
in the gospel of divine grace, rely entirely upon the merits of 
Jesus Christ for pardon and salvation, and henceforth to walk 
in all his ordinances and commandments blameless. The 
holy eucharist not only retrospects all which Christ has done 
for our salvation, but looks forward, and recognizes all that 
is yet to come. Whatever is awful and interesting in the 
process of dissolution ; in the irrevocable decisions of the 
last judgment, and in the changeless realities of another 
world, enter into the celebration of this christian sacrament. 

5. How should this sacrament be received ? 

6. Should this sacrament be received with reverence ? 

* 1 Cor. 11: 29. 



208 



A SYSTEM OF 



In coming to the holy table the language of our hearts should 
be, " How dreadful is this place ! It is none other than the 
house of God and the gate of heaven." The holy altar is 
no place for levity or worldly-mindedness ; for self-righteous- 
ness or a dependence upon our own goodness ; but the place 
where God, negociating peace with guilty mortals, dispenses 
pardon and salvation to those who believe in Christ; and in 
coming to it our minds should be thrilled with reverence and 
godly fear. 

7. In the second place, we should celebrate the eucharist 
with gratitude. Intended as it is to bring to our recollection 
the great love wherewith Christ hath loved us, the price he 
paid for our redemption, and the exalted privileges he hath 
secured to us by his death and sacrifice, an ungrateful heart, 
in the participation of the ordinance, is, of all things, the 
most offensive in the sight of God. Of every feeling which 
animates the human bosom, ingratitude is the most unrea- 
sonable. When we have long cherished for our fellow crea- 
tures sentiments of affection and regard ; when, in every in- 
stance, we have promoted, to the utmost of our abilities, 
their present and eternal interest, w T e perceive that we are 
repaid only with coldness, indifference, and ingratitude, it is 
impossible not to behold their conduct with abhorrence. 
How, then, can we presume that God will look with appro- 
bation upon those around his holy altar, whom he hath re- 
deemed by the sacrifice and death of Christ, enlightened by 
his blessed spirit, and instructed by his gospel, who, instead 
of contemplating these benefits with gratitude, look upon 
them with apathy and indifference? ' It is impossible. In- 
gratitude, in the sight of God, is as hateful as the sin of witch- 
craft. For the great things which he has done for us, he 
requires thankfulness; and we may rest assured that with- 
out an offering of this description all our efforts to please 

7. Should this sacrament be received with gratitude ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 209 

him will be in vain. In approaching his sacred altar, we 
should call upon our souls, and upon all that is within' us, to 
bless and, praise his holy name. 

8. In the third place, we should commemorate the death 
of Christ with a perfect confidence in his merits. Having, 
in virtue of his active and passive righteousness, made an 
atonement for the sins of the whole world, and rendered it 
possible for God to be just, and the justifier of the ungodly 
who believe in Christ, it is enjoined upon us to trust in him 
with our whole heart, and not to be afraid. We should not 
only feel that every hope and every wish for pardon and 
salvation independent of the cross is fruitless and offensive 
in the sight of God ; but possess that firm and unshaken 
trust in the righteousness of Christ which will enable us to 
say with Paul, " The life I now live is by faith in the son of 
God." A simple, tender, and unqualified reliance upon the 
merits of the cross ; a strong and unwavering belief that 
God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, 
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have 
everlasting life, is absolutely essential to the proper celebra- 
tion of the Lord's supper. 

9. In the fourth place, we should receive this holy sacra- 
ment with a fixed determination to lead a new life. Particu- 
lar and circumspect as we may have been, there are many 
things in which we ought to amend. We are required to 
grow in grace, and in the knowledge and love of God ; and 
every time we approach his sacred table we should promise, 
by his assistance, to fulfil the requirement. Casting our- 
selves beneath the wings of the cherubim before the mercy 
seat, we should resolve to be his entirely, and forever. De- 
siring above all things to comprehend with all saints what if 
the length, and breadth, and depth, and height of divine love, 
we should beseech God, by the gracious influences of his 

8. Should this sacrament be received with confidence in Christ's merits ? 

9. Should this sacrament be received with resolutions to lead a new life ? 

18* 



210 A SYSTEM OF 

• 

spirit, to accomplish in us this desire. As th« hart panteth 
after the water brook, so should our souls pant for the living 
God. To partake of his divine nature and holiness; to 
awake in his surpassing loveliness, and therewith be satis- 
fied ; to leave the things which are behind, and press towards 
the mark of the prize of our high calling, which is of God in 
Christ Jesus, should be objects of increasing desire, in every 
instance, of coming to the lord's supper. 

1 . In the institution of the holy eucharist, Christ said unto 
his disciples, " this do in remembrance of wi€." # The obli- 
gations of this requirement arise, chiefly, from the character 
of him who gave it, and the circumstances under which it 
was given. A few remarks upon each topic will now be of- 
fered. • 

2. There have been individuals, in every period of the 
christian era, who have considered the son of God, merely, 
as a creature. Some have accorded to him the highest dig- 
nity of created beings, others have reduced him to a level 
with the best of men, and many have not hesitated to impute 
to him*ambition and imposture. Like every individual of 
extraordinary excellence, he has been the subject of uncea- 
sing misapprehension. 

3. But whatever may be the view of men, in reference to 
the character of the son of God, the scriptures, on this point, 
are perspicuous and decisive. The voice of the Father pro- 
claiming, " this is my beloved son, in whom I am well 
pleased ;"f his own assertion, " 1 and my Father are one;":j: 
the declaration of the evangelist, " in the beginning was the 
word, and the word was with God, and the word was God 
and the statement of an apostle, " that he was the bright- 
ness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his per- 

1. From what do our obligations to receive the communion arise ? 

2. What is the character of Christ? 

3« What say the scriptures in respect to the character of Christ ? 
* Luke 22 : 19. t Mat. 3:17. t John 10: 30. $ John 1 : 1. 



MOKAL PHILOSOPHY. 



211 



son,"* incontestable prove the divinity of his nature. In 
union with this nature, he took not on him the properties of 
angels,, but the seed of Abraham, that he might be a merci- 
ful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to 
make reconciliation for the sins of the people.*)" 

4. Being " very God and very man," he appeared in our 
world as the expositor of human duty, both by precept and 
example. When darkness had covered the earth, and gross 
darkness the people ; when the teachings of the patriarchs 
and prophets had lost their efficiency, and the traditions of 
the fathers had become mutilated or extinct, then said he, 
" lo, J come, in the volume of the book it is written of me, 
to do thy will, O God." He came to raise the veil which 
shrouded the eternal world ; to exhibit distinctly the charac- 
ter of his heavenly Father ; to disclose the relations in which 
he stands to the human race; and to unfold the nature and 
extent of his mediation. 

5. In every period of his pilgrimage he exhibited the most 
active and abundant goodness. His piety was fervent, but 
not fanatical ; his benevolence exuberant, but not ostenta- 
tious; his obedience exact, but not pharisaical. Amid the 
hosannahs and caresses of the multitude he retained his char- 
acteristic lowliness; and in spite of the most deadly malevo- 
lence he continued affectionate and kind. In the rough and 
stormy scenes through which he passed, he acted with con- 
summate prudence, and his temper was ever sweetened by the 
most diffusive and endearing charity. His language, in a 
solitary instance, was never marred by an improper word ; 
his conduct was never stained by an unworthy action ; nor 
were his passions ever roused beyond the limits of the truest 
moderation. Towards the ignorant and poor, he was patient 

4. For what purpose did the son of God appear in our world ? 

5. What was the conduct of the saviour in our world? 



* Heb. 1:3. 



f lb. 2:16, 17. 



212 



A SYSTEM OF 



and condescending; to the rich and powerful, firm and in- 
dependent; to the docile and submissive, tender and affec- 
tionate; and to the refractory and disobedient, mandatory 
and sovereign. Instead of pursuing his own comfort, he 
sought, exclusively, the glory of his heavenly Father, and 
the happiness of the human race. Though he strewed the 
paths of mortals with the richest blessings, he remained him- 
self poor and wretched. The foxes had holes, and the birds 
of the air had nests, but he had no where to lay his head. 
Whether we behold him on the mount of transfiguration ; in 
the performance of miracles for the relief of suffering hu- 
manity ; in his sorrow, weeping over the city of Jerusalem-; 
or in his agonies upon the cross, he appears with infinite 
loveliness and sublimity. As a moral teacher developing the 
principles of human action ; a prophet unfolding the events 
of future time ; a master swaying the passions and conduct 
of his disciples ; a philanthropist teaching " ignorance to see 
and grief to smile ;" a companion harmonizing discordant 
and repulsive tempers; or in any of the multifarious rela- 
tions in which he performed his stupendous acts, he was like 
a mighty column, standing in a vast and barren plain, not 
only without a parallel, but without the possibility of there 
being one. 

6. Such being the character of him who said, " This do 
in remembrance of me," the precept must surely be obliga- 
tory. And when to this consideration we add the circum- 
stances under which it was given, our conviction of its bind- 
ing power must be complete. 

7. In the view of his approaching dissolution, and the con- 
tumely and degradation he was destined to undergo, the son 
of God collected his disciples, and, as a token of reciprocal 
affection, instituted the last supper. As such it was received, 
and ever afterward regarded with the highest veneration. 

6. What is the deduction from the above premises? 

7. What was the object of Christ in instituting the supper? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



213 



Nor were the feelings of the apostles, in this respect, either 
unnatural or superstitious. The last moments of a beloved 
friend, the final request of a revered teacher, have, among 
all people, been held in reverent and. sacred estimation. 
And if there be any propriety in these feelings ; any sanctity 
in the fervent and affectionate wishes of an esteemed bene- 
factor, entering upon the agonies of dissolving nature, the 
requirement in question cannot be disregarded. It comes en- 
forced by all the circumstances of its being the last — the 
dying — the affectionate wish of the son of God. 

8. This holy sacrament was instituted in view of that try- 
ing hour, when the saviour knew he would be almost entirely 
forsaken. In his arrest in the garden of Gethsemane ; his 
arraignment before the bars of Caiaphas and Pilate, he fore- 
saw that all men would be offended in him ; and in the 
knowledge of this fact he instituted the ordinance of com- 
memoration. On this occasion he seems to have said. 
" While I am forsaken by all the world, I wish to be remem- 
bered by my disciples. Will you forget me? Will you blot 
from your remembrance my sufferings, my redemption, and 
my love? O let not this be done, but cherish, in every pe- 
riod of your being, my memory with the greatest fondness." 
Nor is this address inapplicable to us. We too are living in 
a period in which men are prone to forget the saviours but 
will we add to the unhappy number? Is it not enough that 
the ungodly, who have no regard for Christ; that many, 
who have grown grey in the reception of this sacrament, 
now turn their backs upon the ordinance ; that some of his 
younger disciples, who were once an ornament to his cause, 
have returned to the world again? Will we also go away? 
O let not this be our ungrateful conduct. 

9. But the holy eucharist was intended not only to perpe- 
tuate the remembrance of the son of God, but also to pro- 

8. Under what circumstances was the supper instituted ? 

9. For what, besides commemoration, was the eucharist intended? 



214 



A 8YSTEM OF 



mote our own happiness. While it is designed to be a me- 
morial of his death and sacrifice, it is likewise a means for 
our comfort and improvement. Intended expressly to pro- 
mote the spiritual and eternal interests of his people, it bears 
upon it his special blessings ; never failing, when properly 
received, to be at once the seal of pardon, and the means of 
sanctification. In reference to those who receive faithfully 
the divinely instituted ordinances, Isaiah says, " They shall 
be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house ; and 
thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures ; 
for with thee is the fountain of life ; and in thy light shall 
we see light." And said Jesus Christ, " Verily I say unto 
you, except ye eat the flesh of the son of man, and drink 
his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, 
and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise 
him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and 
my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and 
drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him."* 

1. But notwithstanding the manifold sanctions of the pre- 
cept, " This do in remembrance of me," it not unfrequently 
is neglected ; and the neglecters attempt to justify their de- 
linquency by argument, if not by scripture. 

2. It is supposed by many that they are unfit to receive 
the sacrament of redemption until they have an abiding evi- 
dence of God's favour ; until his spirit bears witness with 
their spirit that they are his children. This, however, is not 
true. The table of the Lord is not guarded with flaming 
cherubim, holding in their hands the sword of justice, to be 
employed in the destruction of the trembling sinner, who 
has fled for refuge, to lay hold of the hope which is before 
him ; but it is the mercy seat ; the' place where God, in the 

1. How is this institution treated by many? 

2, Which is the first excuse for not receiving it? 

* John 6:53—56, 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



215 



plenitude of goodness, meets the humble penitent, who is de- 
sirous of fleeing the wrath to come. It is here he manifests, 
not the awful and alarming features of his character, but the 
tenderness of mercy and compassion. Here he makes his 
goodness pass before the weary and heavy laden, declaring 
that he is " the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious." 
And every individual, sensible of his guilt and helplessness, 
and anxious henceforth to comply with his requirements, is 
invited to approach and receive the pledges of his love. The 
instant we stop in our career of sin, and resolve, by divine 
assistance, to walk in the path of duty, we are fit to cele- 
brate the lord's supper. It is not the voice of our heavenly 
Father, nor yet the dictate of enlightened reason, that chides 
the returning sinner for his wishes to communicate, but the 
remains of unbelief, and the suggestions of the wicked one. 
If the weary and heavy laden are invited to come to Christ, 
they are surely permitted to come to his holy supper ; for this 
ordinance is neither more august, nor more sacred than him- 
self. 

3. But even if we are unworthy, this does not justify our 
delinquency. The cause of our un worthiness is wholly in 
ourselves. It is our own hardness of heart, our own want 
of faith, our own love of sin, that unfits us for the reception 
of the pledges of redeeming love. And this unfitness is sub- 
ject to our own volition. Whatever may be our need of di- 
vine assistance, if we seek it with our whole heart, it will 
be given. The language of God is, " Let the wicked forsake 
his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts ; and let him 
return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; 
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."* 

4. Still, however, we think ourselves unfit to receive the 

3. Does unworthiness justify a neglect for not communing? 

4. Will abstaining from the communion make us worthy? 



* Is. 55:7. 



216 



A SYSTEM OF 



lord's supper ; and. upon this ground, justify an abstinence 
from the ordinance. But will this course of conduct make 
us better ? Will a neglect of the means of grace secure to us 
the possession of grace? Infinitely better would it be for us, 
in the language of the returning prodigal, to say, " I will 
arise, and go to my Father, and will say unto him, Father, 
I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no 
more worthy to be called thy son, make me, I pray thee, as 
one of thy hired servants;" and casting ourselves beneath 
the wings of the cherubim, exclaim, " Here, Lord, I give 
myself away : 'tis all that I can do." 

5, Another excuse for neglecting the lord's supper is drawn 
from the want of time. It is alleged that the multiplicity of 
business, the pressure- of care, and the nature of our avoca- 
tions, render impracticable the performance of this duty. 
But will this satisfy our conscience ? Do the obstacles we 
have ourselves thrown in the path of duty excuse us for not 
walking in it ? Dependent as we are on God for time, and 
for every blessing we enjoy, is it right thus to defraud him 
of our service ? In the twinkling of an eye he can blast our 
brightest prospects ; derange our best concerted plans ; touch 
with consuming sickness our dearest friends, and fire with a 
burning frenzy our own brain. In this condition of depend- 
ence, he claims our whole service ; and no excuse, drawn 
from the want of time, will invalidate the claim. We have 
not the slightest reason to expect that death will wait upon 
our negligence ; that the king of terrors will postpone his 
attack until our business is despatched. He is now approach- 
ing ! his bow is bent, his arrow drawn, and probably, before 
we are aware of danger, he will have marked us for his 
.victim, and laid us in the silent dust. Then will the lan- 
guage of the Judge be, " He that is filthy let him be filthy 
still ;" as the tree falls so it shall forever lie. 

5. What other excuse is urged for not communing? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



217 



6. Another excuse for abstaining from the lord's supper is 
drawn from its alleged inefficacy. " We have long," say 
some, " received this holy ordinance, but have never de- 
rived from it the slightest benefit." The excuse, however, is 
not valid. Individuals may indeed have partaken of the 
holy communion, and received no powerful, or even sensible 
communication of grace, and still have derived from the 
ordinance important benefits. The operations of God's spirit 
upon the human mind are not only various, but incompre- 
hensible. We know not when they begin, or when they ter- 
minate. Often when we think we are the least influenced 
by divine grace, we are more particularly under its control. 
A conviction of the innate pollution of human nature; of 
our numerous and aggravated transgressions of the divine 
law ; and of our absolute need of an interest in the merits of 
the cross, is as truly an effect of the grace of God, as 
the conversion of the three thousand on the day of pente- 
cost. But even in the supposition that we have hitherto de- 
rived no benefit from receiving the holy sacrament, it does 
not follow that we should henceforth abstain from it. The 
fault was neither in God, nor in the ordinance, but in our- 
selves only. We had retained some beloved idol ; some un~ 
sanctified affection, which marred, in the sight of God, our 
whole service. It was a dereliction from the requirement, 
" My son, give me thy heart," and not a want of efficacy in 
the sacrament, which rendered the reception of it unprofit- 
able. The promise of God is, " Stand ye in the ways, and 
see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and 
walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls."* 

7. Others again abstain from the lord's supper, lest, in 
receiving it, they should, by subsequent unfaithfulness, incur 

6. Is there any other excuse urged for not communing' ? 

7. What other excuse is urged for not communing? 



* Jer. 6:16. 
19 



218 



A SYSTEM OF 



greater condemnation. We are, it is true, continually ex- 
posed to peril; and the history of past ages show that the 
best men may fall into temptation. But is it wise to venture 
upon certain disobedience, to guard against possible aberra- 
tions? We might as well refuse to read the scriptures; to 
implore the divine blessings ; or to perform any other duty, 
as to abstain from the lord's supper, from an apprehension 
that subsequent unworthiness will aggravate our condemna- 
tion. To pursue this course, is to plunge into certain evil, 
to render impossible the occurrence of greater, when both 
may be avoided. This is like taking poison to prevent stran- 
gulation, when neither is necessary. If we are exposed to 
temptation, we ought with greater diligence to use the means 
appointed for our preservation. " The whole," says our 
saviour, " need not a physician, but they that are sick." It 
is precisely because we are liable to sin that we should use 
the means intended to protect us from it. If to prevent dying 
of hunger we should eat ; or to prevent falling into the hands 
of our enemies we should be watchful, the use of the means 
prescribed by divine wisdom is the only way in which we 
can hope to be protected from future lapses. 

8. In addition to these excuses for neglecting the lord's 
supper, it is alleged, that whatever may be the obligations 
that some are under to receive this ordinance, all are bound 
to wait till they have obtained a distinct and particular con- 
viction that it is their duty to communicate. But wherefore, 
we would ask, have they not received this conviction? Did 
not the son of God, in the same night in which he was be- 
trayed, take bread, and, when he had given thanks, break 
it, and give it to his disciples, saying, take, eat, this is my 
body, which is given for you ; do this in remembrance of 
me ? Likewise, after supper, did he not take the cup, and, 
when he had given thanks, give it unto them, saying, drink ye 

8. What other excuse is made for not communing? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



219 



all of this, for this is my blood of the New Testament, which 
is shed for you, and for many, for the remission of sins : do 
this as often as ye shall drink of it in remembrance of me ? 
And is not this sufficient to produce a conviction that it is our 
duty to communicate 1 If, indeed, it has produced no con- 
viction, that is no reason it is not obligatory. Delinquency 
in one instance is no excuse for another. Shutting our eyes 
to the obligations of duty will never operate a diminution of 
those obligations. The scriptures, and not our feelings, are 
to be the measure of our obedience ; and the head of the 
church having said, " This do in remembrance of me," 
renders it necessary to conform our feelings to the precept, 
and not the precept to our feelings. 

9. Some allege, that notwithstanding they are sensible of 
the great importance of receiving the lord's supper, they are 
deterred from doing so by a knowledge of the fact that some 
of their acquaintance are at variance with them. But what 
of this ? Are we to neglect a duty because some are dis- 
pleased with us? Will we consent to be condemned, and 
lost forever, because we are not beloved by every one? 
Offences, said our saviour, must needs come ; and we may 
resj; assured, that so long as we are faithful in the perform- 
ance of our duty we shall have enemies ; but this fact should 
have no effect upon our feelings, while we ourselves are anx- 
ious, as much as lieth in us, to live peaceably with all men. 
The redeemer, and every individual who assisted at the first 
supper, had enemies ; but, conscious as they were of the 
kindly feelings of their own hearts, they received the ordin- 
ance without hesitance. 

1. Many, however, who find no fault with their own qual- 
ifications to receive the communion, neglect to do so, on ac- 
count of the improper conduct, of others. They tell us that 
the unworthy behaviour of professing christians render a 

9. Is there any other excuse alleged for not communing? 
1. What other excuse is alleged for not communing? 



220 



A SYSTEM OF 



connexion with them, upon the basis of christian fellowship, 
impossible. Such delinquents, however, should recollect 
that, in the present instance, they may not be impartial 
judges. Being inclined naturally to think more favourably 
of themselves than they do of others, they may magnify 
their own virtues and their neighbour's faults. At all events, 
a recurrence to the admonition of the saviour may not be in- 
expedient : " First cast out the beam out of thine own eye, 
and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of 
thy brother's eye."* The truth is, the misconduct of others 
will never fulfil our own duty. " This do in remembraxice 
of me," imposes an obligation upon us which no delinquency 
of others can revoke. In regard to our future and eternal 
interest, the conduct of others is to us a matter of indiffer- 
ence. In the day of judgment every man will be judged ac- 
cording to his own works, whether they be good or evil. 
Accordingly, Jesus Christ and his apostles communicated 
with Judas, although he was then known to be, in his heart, 
both a thief and a traitor. 

2. The sixth external duty that we owe to God, compre- 
hends efforts to extend his gospel. 0 

3. Obligations to extend the gospel, arise from its benign 
effects in the present life, and its saving power in that which 
is to come. 

4. The fairest way, perhaps, to estimate correctly the ef- 
fects of Christianity in the present life, is to compare the con- 
dition of our own country with that of others, in which the 
gospel is not known. Civil government, social refinement, 
moral habits, and religious enjoyment, will, of course, con- 
stitute the principal points in this comparison. 

2. What is the sixth external duty that we owe to God? 

3. Whence arise the obligations to extend Christianity? 

4. How shall we estimate the influence of Christianity ? 

* Mat. 7:5. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY, 221 

Whatever may be the errors of civil governments now 
existing in Christendom, they are incomparably superior to 
any in pagan countries. In that little speck of earth, known 
on the world's map as the theatre of christian principles, 
there is more of civil liberty than in all the world besides. 
We will go still farther, and assert, that in our own country 
there is more excellence of this description than the unbe- 
lieving world now possesses, or ever did possess. In proof 
of this position, we will refer, not to those couqtries on which 
civilization never shed its benignant light, but to the most 
learned and powerful of the unbelieving nations. What, 
then, we will ask, are the civil institutions of India and of 
China? Alas \ they are oppressive in the last degree. Tho&e 
governments, in all their ramifications, are administered with 
unmitigated despotism. Power, not equity, nor the promo- 
tion of human happiness, is the rule of action. Hereditary 
tyrants, or lawless usurpers, stretch their iron sceptres over 
millions of trembling vassals, not to protect them in their 
rights, or to encourage them in the pursuit of happiness, but 
like the whirlwind, or the mildew, to blight and destroy the 
very buddings of prosperity. But this is not the case with 
us. The mild and equitable principles of our holy religion 
have insinuated themselves into every branch of our politi- 
cal economy. The code of American jurisprudence is a 
transcript of that perfect law of liberty, which an apostle 
says is fulfilled in one word, namely, in love. Patriotism is 
stamped upon every institution of our country. Here there 
is no tyranny; no proscription; no bloody and relentless 
laws, to distress and crush the governed, for the gratification 
and aggrandizement of the governing. The fixed and ac- 
knowledged object of the government is, the promotion of 
the welfare and happiness of all. 

6. There is not only more excellence in the civil institu- 

5. What is the character of civil governments in Christendom? 

6. How are our civil institutions superior to those of pagan countries? 

19* 



222 



A SYSTEM OP 



tions of our country than the infidel world now possesses, 
but more than it ever did possess. „The ancient governments 
of Greece and Rome, we are well aware, have been long 
and loudly praised ; have been held up to admiring nations 
as the perfection of civil polity ; but we are confident that 
an accurate investigation of their character and tendency 
will result in a conviction that the reverse of this is true. 
The splendour and glory of the commonwealth, and not the 
happiness of t]ie individuals of whom it was composed, was 
the principal, if not the only objects of those governments. 
Individuals were compelled to sacrifice their dearest rights to 
the interests of the state. The administrations of Greece 
and Rome were not so much intended to bring justice to the 
home of the humble cottager, peace and plenty to the indus- 
trious artizan, and domestic happiness to the lowly plebeian, 
as they were to crowd their annals with splendid and war- 
like achievements. And although, in the estimation of su- 
perficial thinkers, such governments rank high in the scale 
of political excellence, they will, in the view of enlightened 
statesmen, be ever held as prejudicial to human happiness. 
It is not the government whose operations appear upon the 
page of history with the greatest splendour and eclat that 
contributes most efficiently to the welfare of its subjects : for 
while we admit that ours, in these respects, are inferior to 
the ancient governments of Greece and Rome, we contend it 
is incomparably superior to them both, in the production of 
individual and general happiness. There is a mildness, an 
equity, a benevolence, exemplified in its operations, which 
embracing, without discrimination, the ruler and the ruled, 
set it as far above those governments in the scale of political 
excellence, as reality is above show. The gospel of Jesus 
Christ has shed upon our political institutions a mild and be- 
nignant influence, which heathen nations have never known, 
and never can know. 

7. Nor has it exerted a less salutary power upon our so- 
7. What is the influence of Christianity on social feelings ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



223 



cial feelings. Bad as the professors of our holy religion 
evidently are, they have better notions of the social vir- 
tues, and are infinitely more punctual in the performance of 
moral duties, than any other people. There is a savageness 
and barbarity in the social intercourse of pagan countries; 
shocking to the christian mind. The tenderest connexions 
existing in the social compact is there treated with neglect 
and cruelty. Woman, who is entitled to the protection and 
care of man, is continually the object of caprice and tyranny. 
Instead of those tender and soothing sympathies, so essential 
to the happiness of the " weaker vessel," she is destined to 
servile labour, to fill the most menial offices, and even to pro- 
vide for her husband's wants. Excluded from the cheerful 
circle, cut off from the enjoyment of social life, harassed 
by unceasing jealousy, and exposed to the vexations of an 
unfeeling tyrant, she is a stranger to those elastic and de- 
lightful feelings which play around the heart, of a happy 
woman. In the gloomy and repulsive principles of paganism 
there is nothing to cheer her bosom, to exalt and adorn her 
nature, to raise her in the scale of human beings, and to 
guard her sacred rights from the encroachments of her 
haughty lord. In the gospel of Jesus Christ alone she finds 
a guaranty to the exalted privileges which the God of nature 
intends she should enjoy. It is there said, " Husbands, love 
your wives, even as Christ also loved the church ;" # and 
the promulgation of this precept has long fixed in the mind 
of man a sentiment the most favourable to social happiness. 

8. And while the gospel thus improves our social nature 
at the fountain head, it diffuses a benignant influence through 
the variety of its modifications. The parental affection, 
under the auspices of Christianity, is discovered not only in 
its strongest, but in its freshest and purest forms. Stimu- 

8. What effect has Christianity upon parental feelings? 



* Eph. 5:25. 



224 



A SYSTEM OF 



lated by the most active and powerful motives, its efforts are 
directed unceasingly to the improvement of the rising gene- 
ration. The parent's hand strews upon his children's path 
the richest and sweetest blessings ; affording them every fa- 
cility to the acquisition of science, of virtue, and of happi- 
ness. Unlike the offspring of heathen parents, who are de- 
voted in sacrifice to propitiate their gods, our children are 
reared with tenderness, and educated with solicitude, until 
they become as plants grown up in their youth, or as stones 
polished after the similitude of a palace. 

9. Nor does the ardour of parental affection . often fail to 
excite in our children's bosom the feelings of filial regard. 
Here the hoary head, whitened by the frosts of many winters, 
seldom fails to find an asylum in the affection of his off- 
spring ; for while the gospel of divine grace commands pa- 
rents to love their children, it likewise requires children to 
cherish and obey their parents.*' 

1. Even domestics, and the humblest menial, instead of 
being left to their master's mercy, find in the public sym- 
pathy a barrier against oppression. Unlike the unpitied 
Helot, they have, in the laws of their common country, a 
protector of their sacred rights. Should their masters dare 
to inflict upon them inhuman punishment, they would them- 
selves become obnoxious to the penalty of the violated laws. 

2. Such is the exercise of the social virtues in Christen- 
dom, that there is nothing like it in all the earth besides. 
Vigorous and concentrated efforts are now making, and have 
long been made, to protect the helpless, reclaim the vicious, 
and to lessen the suffering of our unhappy race. Hospitals, 
houses of correction, seminaries of learning, and numerous 
other institutions, designed to mitigate the evijs that flesh is 

9. What effect has Christianity upon filial feelings? 

1. What effect has Christianity upon masters? 

2. Are the good effects of ehristianity upon society clear and distinct? 

* Eph. 6:1—3. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



225 



heir to, are sprinkled, in magnificence, over our happy 
country, directing, by their lofty turrets, the wretched suf- 
ferer to Him, who is the orphan's Father, and the widow's 
God. 

3. From this improvement of the social feelings, a supe- 
riority of moral habits necessarily follows* Wherever Chris- 
tianity has been duly preached, there has been, at least, an 
external reverence of moral duties. But the polytheism of 
heathen countries, it is well known, is constructed in strict 
accordance with the basest passions. Consisting wholly of 
splendid ceremonies, nocturnal orgies, impure and scandalous 
mysteries, it requires of its votaries no morality. Nor is 
this the picture of idolatry as it exists in the ruder nations of 
the world, but as it existed in the most splendid periods of 
Greece and Rome. At the very zenith of Roman grandeur 
virtue was a mere shadow. It was employed only as a theme 
of eulogy, and never reduced to practice in private life. 
The most eminent and enlightened individuals were guilty of 
crimes not to be recorded on the present page ; and the gen- 
eral character of the heathen world was, that they were 
given over to a reprobate mind, to do those things that were 
not convenient. The palaces of the mighty Caesars raised 
their imperial turrets to the skies, crowned with matchless 
beauty and magnificence ; but within they abounded with all 
manner of uncleanness. It is impossible to read the accounts 
which are given of those who held the sceptre of the world 
without blushing for human nature. The history of Rome 
alternately informs and pollutes, elevates and depresses the 
mind of the reader. If in one moment we follow the war- 
rior through his victories with delight, and participate his tri- 
umphs with enthusiasm, the next discovers him, in his retire- 
ment, an object of loathing and disgust. 

4. Nor is this description of the morals of ancient heathens 

3. What effect has Christianity upon morals ? 

4. Is the superiority of christian morals evident at the present time ? 



226 



A SYSTEM OF 



inapplicable to that of modern pagans. At the present mo- 
ment, in the almost boundless regions which they inhabit, 
morality is scarcely known. Idolatry, perfidy, cruelty, and 
all the vices which follow in their train, are perpetrated with 
remorseless constancy. Bad as the morality of christians is, 
it is incomparably superior to that of pagans. 

5. And while the gospel of Jesus Christ thus produces 
better morals in those who believe it, it contributes greatly to 
their comfort. Not to dwell upon the advantages of their 
external circumstances, we will advert simply to the hope 
with which they are inspired. Disclosing to their eye of 
faith the riches of redeeming love, it excites and cherishes 
unutterable delight in this respect. Renovated by the power 
of divine grace, and assimilated to the image of their heavenly 
Father, they stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory of 
God ; feeling that, if the earthly house of this tabernacle 
were dissolved, they have a building of God, a house not 
made with hands, eternal in the heavens. # 

6. And what enjoyment of the unbelieving world, we ask, 
is comparable to this ? The religion of the pagan is a reli- 
gion of austerity and gloom. It affords no purity of heart, 
no sweetness and elasticity of temper, no peace and joy in 
the holy ghost ; but only crime, and guilt, and fearful appre- 
hension. Involved in the clouds of a cruel superstition, he 
stumbles upon the dark mountains of death, and plunges in 
the dread abyss, unillumined by a single ray of that cheer- 
ing light which comforts and sustains the dying christian. 

7. Obligations to extend the power of Christianity arise, 
however, not only from its benign effects in the present life, 
but chiefly from its saving power in that which is to come. 

5. What effect has Christianity upon human happiness? 

6. Can paganism yield equal happiness? 

7. Is Christianity superior to paganism in respect to a future world? 



* 2 Cor. 5 :1. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



227 



" How," saith an apostle, " shall they believe in him of 
whom they have not heard ? and how shall they hear without 
a preacher? and how shall they preach except they be 
sent?"* 

8. It is shewn in these words that faith in the Lord Jesus 
Christ is an essential term of salvation — that an exercise of 
faith in him is impossible without a knowledge of his char- 
acter — that God has instituted an order of men for the pur- 
pose of diffusing this knowledge — and consequently that it is 
the duty of all to assist in sending this order of men on this 
important mission. 

9. That faith in the lord Jesus Christ is an essential term 
of salvation is every where represented in the holy scrip- 
tures. On this point they do not leave the shadow of a 
doubt. If they seem ambiguous and obscure in the discus- 
sion of some topics, on this they are perspicuous and precise. 
The messiah having been appointed in the council of divine 
wisdom the only ground of justification in the sight of God, 
it is ordained that faith in him shall be the exclusive instru- 
ment of procuring it. " He," it is said, " that believeth on 
the son is not condemned ; but he that believeth not is con- 
demned already."f And St. Paul declares, that " neither cir- 
cumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision ; but faith, 
which worketh by love."^: 

1. Important, however, as a belief in the son of God is, 
it can never be exercised without a knowledge of his char- 
acter. " This is life eternal, that they might know thee," it 
is said, " and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." And St. 
Paul exclaims, " Yea, doubtless ; and I count all things but 
loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my 

8, How does St, Paul prove our obligation to extend Christianity? 

9. Which is the first proposition of this argument? 
1. Which is the second proposition? 



* Rom. 10 : 14, 15. + John 3:18. t Gal. 5 : 6. 



228 



A SYSTEM OF 



lord ; that I may know him, and the power of his resurrec- 
tion, and the fellowship of his suffering, being made con- 
formable to his death." 

2. A knowledge of the character of the son of God being 
essential to the exercise of faith, the great head of the church 
has appointed an order of men expressly to promulgate this 
knowledge. Noah, before the deluge, was a preacher of 
righteousness. David preached in the great congregation. 
Ezra and the scribes read publicly the books of the law and 
the prophets. In the celebration of public worship it was 
customary, in the time of our saviour, to read and expound 
the holy scriptures. And this arrangement, like all others 
existing in the Jewish church at that period, was improved 
by Jesus Christ. He appointed seventy disciples, and sent 
them forth, two and two, to preach his word. After his re- 
surrection, he said to his apostles, " Go ye into all the world, 
and preach my gospel-to every creature ; and, lo, I am with 
you always, even unto the end of the world." And having 
ascended on high, and taken his seat at the right hand of 
God, he gave some, apostles ; and some, prophets ; and some, 
evangelists ; and some, pastors and teachers ; for the perfect- 
ing of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edify- 
ing of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the 
faith, and of the knowledge of the son of God, unto a per- 
fect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of 
Christ."* 

3. It, then, being evident that faith in Jesus Christ is an 
essential term of salvation — that it is impossible to exercise 
this faith without a knowledge of Jhis character — and that 
God has set apart an order of men expressly to communi- 
cate this knowledge, it follows that we all are under obliga- 

2. Which is the third proposition? 

3. What is the inference from these premises? 



* Eph. 4:11—13. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



229 



tions to assist in the accomplishment of the undertaking. 
This conclusion is inevitable. No art, no sophistry, no in- 
genuity, can escape from it. It is the deduction of St. Paul 
himself; and comes authenticated, not only by apostolical 
authority, but also by enlightened reason. 

4. Of all the projects in which human beings now are, or 
ever were concerned, the promulgation of the gospel of Jesus 
Christ is the most important. To this, every other system 
of operation should be subservient. The gospel is not only 
the source of temporal comfort, but the basis of future en- 
joyment. In comparison with efforts to extend its influence, 
every other enterprise dwindles into nothing. These efforts 
are glorious in their present results, and will be immortal in 
their future consequences. When all the pride and pomp of 
earthly greatness; ail the achievements of merely human 
power; and all the schemes and hopes of ambitious mortals, 
shall have descended to obHvion, the effects of extending the 
gospel of the son of God, will encircle his eternal throne 
with fadeless and increasing glory. " They," says Daniel, 
" that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament ; 
and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever 
and ever."* 

5. Contributing as the gospel does to the happiness of hu- 
man beings in the present life, and to their eternal salvation 
in that which is to come, the duty of extending its influence 
is of paramount importance. Hence said the great apostle, 
" we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the lord ; and 
ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake."f 

6. The duties, of which we have been treating in the pre- 
sent chapter, are admirably summed up in the catechism of 

4. Is the promulgation of the gospel of Jesus Christ an object of im- 
portance ? 

5. What is the close of this argument ? 

6. What is the summing up of our duties toward God ? 

* Dan. 12:3. t 2 Cor. 4 : 5. 

20 



A SYSTEM OF 



the P. E. church, in the answer to the question, " What is 
thy duty towards God?" It is said — " My duty towards 
God is to believe in him; to fear him; and to love him with 
all my heart, with all my mind, with all my soul, and with 
all my strength ; to worship him ; to give him thanks ; to 
put my whole trust in him ; to call upon him ; to honour his 
holy name and his word ; and to serve him truly all the days 
of my life." 

CHAPTER II. 

Of the duties which we owe to our fellow creatures. 

1. That human beings were designed by their Creator for 
the social state, is evident from their wants, their instincts, 
the benefits of that condition, and*the nature of its conserva- 
tive principle. 

2. So numerous are the wants of man, that a supply of 
them, in an isolated condition, is impossible. Had he never 
entered the social state, he would have continued to the pre- 
sent moment more unhappy than the wandering Arab, or the 
Indian savage. Roving in a trackless desert, exposed to the 
rigour of the changing seasons, and oppressed with hunger, 
he would be less comfortable than the beasts of -the woods. 
The social state, indeed, is necessary to the preservation of 
his existence. Brought into the world in a state of helpless- 
ness, he must inevitably perish if not protected by a friendly 
hand. Nor would his dangers be much diminished by the 
acquisition of experience and strength. Savage in his habits, 
and unsocial in his feelings, " man would be to man the 
surest and the sorest foe." Armed with the weapons of the 
forest, and stimulated by predatory passions, a war of exter- 

L x\re human beings designed for the social state 7 
2. What do the wants of man show? 



MORAL PHILOSOrHY. 



231 



mination would be the object of his pursuit. Nor would he 
find in his fellow man the only cause of apprehension and 
alarm.: the beasts of the woods, urged to madness by their 
hunger, would hunt him for their prey. Insulated, and con- 
sequently helpless, they would exterminate him from the 
earth, and govern, without a rival, the empire of the forest. 

3. Nor are the instincts of man less active in the forma- 
tion of society, than his necessities and wants. The voice 
of nature, in this respect, can neither be silenced nor misun- 
derstood. Under the dominion of nature's laws ; the impulse 
of nature's God, he feels that it is not good, nor even possible, 
to live alone. 

4. But while an insulated or solitary condition is, to human 
beings, intolerable, the social state contributes to their com- 
fort. The great diversity of situation, arising from this con- 
dition, is admirably adapted to cherish sympathy and benevo- 
lence. Conducted by a destiny as uncontrollable as discrimi- 
nating, the human family presents a contrariety of circum- 
stances, both interesting and mysterious. Some are raised 
to the summit of human glory, and others are depressed to the 
lowest point of humiliation ; some are possessed with vigor- 
ous and shining intellects, while others drag out an existence 
in perfect fatuity ; some enjoy health for four score years 
and ten, and then drop into the grave without a struggle, 
while others are afflicted with every evil that flesh is heir to ; 
some possess estates in every quarter of the world, ships in 
every ocean, and palaces in town and country, and others 
have not wherewithal to meet their daily wants. This va- 
riety of circumstances has a natural tendency to excite and 
cherish our fellow feelings ; to incline us, in the language 
of St. Paul, to exercise "mercies, kindnesses, humbleness of 
mind, meekness, long-suffering and charity." 

3. What do the instincts of man show ? 

4. Does the social state contribute to our comfort? 



232 



A SYSTEM OF 



5. Nor is the social state less conducive to the gratification 
of our best feelings. Men at all times have derived from the 
society of their fellow men the sweetest and purest comfort. 
The judicious gratification and government of our social 
nature, not only give flavour to existence, but impart to char- 
acter its brightest ornament j and to prevent their legitimate 
exercise, or to place ourselves under circumstances in which 
they cannot be employed, is to counteract the design of 
nature, and extinguish our best enjoyments. 

6. And while the social state contributes to individual and 
general happiness, it is well adapted to our improvement. 
Scientific and literary associations, combining the experience 
of past ages with the present, and uniting the efforts of 
varied talents and acquirements, cannot fail to advance the 
objects of their pursuit. The results of such associations 
adorn the brightest pages of history, and present upon the 
world's map imperishable monuments of utility and grandeur. 
By the efforts of social industry sterile rocks are converted 
into fruitful fields ; and towns, cities, and sumptuous edifices, 
now rear their heads where only the trees of the forest once 
grew. Had our predecessors remained in a savage state, we 
should behold upon the wide earth nought but the wastes of 
time and the wildness of uncultivated nature. And what is 
infinitely more important than merely secular improvements, 
society gives facility to the increase of religious knowledge. 
The social state is the appointed medium throug'h which the 
concerns of another world are transacted in the present. 
Were man a solitary being, the gospel of Jesus Christ would 
be nearly powerless. Its institutions and precepts are all 
adapted to the social state; and in this state only can they 
display their wonted efficacy. While it requires us to love 
the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with 

5 Is the social state grateful to our feelings? 

6. Is the social state contributive to improvement ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



233 



all our mind, and with all our strength, it requires us to love 
our neighbour as ourselves. 

7. From the fact that society is founded in human nature, 
many suppose it possesses not merely a conservatory prin- 
ciple, but also a tendency to continual improvement. They 
contend that, independent of external influences, its march 
is onward, to a state of happiness and perfection, of which, 
as yet, we have had no experience. This, however, is not 
true. Society, composed of human beings in their present 
state, has, exclusively of the divine influence, no tendency 
to improvement. Though its basis be human nature, and its 
continuance, in some form or other, certain, yet the mate- 
rials of which it is composed, uncontrolled by the grace of 
God, inevitably tend to anarchy. In attestation of this state- 
ment we have the history of the whole world. That condi- 
tion of social improvement, which, in its incipient state, pro- 
mises the greatest prosperity, has a natural tendency to na- 
tional calamity. The excitement of a military spirit, which 
leading to the achievement of splendid victories, infallibly 
excites ambition and revenge; plunges into war, and results 
in luxury and weakness. The industrious, enterprizing, and 
successful pursuit of wealth, naturally ends in extravagance 
and dissipation. And. even the cultivation of the sciences 
and the arts, beyond the point of practical utility, often ter- 
minates in speculation and skepticism. Every modification 
of society, arising merely from the suggestions of the human 
passions, has a natural tendency to revolution and anarchy. 
The body politic, though possessing, in some degree, the 
principle of regeneration, will, if not governed by the grace 
of God, infallibly yield to decay and dissolution. This, in- 
deed, is the tendency of every thing merely human. The 
spirit of Christianity, as exemplified by the apostles and the 
son of God, is the only' sustaining principle of the social 

7. What conclusion is drawn from the foundation of society ? 

20* 



234 



A SYSTEM OF 



state. Without this, neither power, nor wealth, nor enter- 
prise, nor any other mortal expedient, can long uphold it. 

8. Without morals, the prosperous continuance of the so- 
cial condition is not possible. Were mankind, renouncing 
the obligations of the moral code, to live in accordance with 
the suggestions of their own passions, society would become 
intolerable. The sea, agitated by the fiercest tempest, would 
not exhibit a state of wilder and more terrific confusion than 
the human family would then present, 

9. But the existence of morals without piety is not to be 
presumed. Human nature is too perverse to be restrained 
independent of religious motives. The instant the doctrine 
of the divine omniscience, and of a future retribution, is ob- 
literated from the mind, the influence of moral obligations 
ceases to operate. Philosophy, with all her power, may de- 
claim upon the advantages of virtue in the present life, but, 
in the absence of christian motives, it will declaim in vain. 
It is the powerful and persuasive influence of scripture doc- 
trines only that will induce a course of conduct contributive 
to social happiness. 

1. A system of moral duties, without the sanctions of re- 
ligion, would be like cobwebs, which every one would brush 
away as often as it came in contact, with his interest or his 
passions. So evident is this fact, that even pagan legislators 
have always invoked the influence of the doctrines of the 
omnisciency and retributive justice of the divine Being. The 
worst systems of mythology ever presented to mankind re- 
cognize religion, of some sort or other, as the life of moral 
action ; and in a mind renouncing the influence of this prin- 
ciple morality can have no residence. 

2. And if moral obligations, without religion, are incom- 

8. Are morals essential to the well being of society ? 

9. Can morals exist without piety ? 

1. What are moral duties without the sanctions of religion ? 

2. Will human enactments enforce morals? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



235 



petent to induce a discharge of social duties, human enact- 
ments will be equally inoperative. These, when brought to 
the highest possible perfection, are still defective, and com- 
paratively inefficient. They can never be made sufficiently 
comprehensive to embrace rules of action in all cases of so- 
cial intercourse ; and if they could, they would still be inap- 
plicable to the motives and feelings of the soul. 

3. Should it be alleged that public sentiment furnishes a 
motive sufficiently powerful to induce the performance of so- 
cial duties, it may be truly said, that notwithstanding this 
motive, in many instances, is more effective in the govern- 
ment of human conduct than either law or ethics, yet the 
substitution of it for Christianity would be infinitely mis- 
chievous. . To say nothing of the inability of public senti- 
ment to reform itself when reformation is necessary, or of 
its incompetence to control our secret conduct, it evidently 
is a capricious and unsteady guide in the formation of the 
social virtues. In submitting to the government of this prin- 
ciple, we must not only yield to the intrigues of demagogues, 
the tyranny of despots, and the licentiousness of the un- 
principled, but pursue a course of conduct tending to under- 
mine the pillars of the social edifice, to crumble into ruin its 
fairest structures, and to resolve it to its native elements. 

4. Whatever may be the opinion of speculative philoso- 
phers, it is evident, from the facts of ages, that true religion 
is the only conservative principle of social order. This alone 
can give stability to those connexions which our wants, our 
inclinations, and our interests, may induce us to form. It is 
the life, the soul, and the aliment of every social compact. 
In the absence of religious principle no institution can long 
flourish : a power, gradual, but certain in its operation, will 
destroy the fairest and brightest structure of merely human 
creation. Nothing but a recognition of the divine law as the 

3. Can public eentiment ensure the observance of social duties ? 

4. What is evident from the facts of ages ? 



236 



A SYSTEM OF 



paramount rule of action can perpetuate the prosperity of 
society. Neither force, nor fraud, nor any of the expedients 
of human wisdom, can prevent the curse of God from rest- 
ing upon it, and, with the certainty and steadiness of time, 
corroding and devouring its vital principles. Nothing but a 
conviction of the fact, that " Thou, God, seest me," and a 
conformity of conduct to this conviction will secure to us 
the blessings of the social state. This will lead to that high 
and holy bearing, which, under all the circumstances of life, 
will induce the pursuit of general, as well as of individual 
interests. It will dispose us to do unto all men as we would 
have them do unto us : and this at once is the source of so- 
cial happiness, and social prosperity. " Blessed is the peo- 
ple," saith David, " that know the joyful sound ; they shall 
walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name 
shall they rejoice all the day : and in thy righteousness shall 
they be exalted."* " And righteousness," saith Solomon, 
exalteth a nation : but sin is a reproach to any people."f* 

5. If, then, the wants, and the instincts of human beings 
compel them to the social state, and if that state contributes 
to their happiness and improvement; and is, at the same 
time, dependent for its salutary continuance upon the service 
of the true God, it follows that that condition is agreeable to 
his will. 

6. Now from this condition arise a variety of relations, 
and from these relations a variety of duties. These duties 
may be considered as general and 'particular* 

7. The general duties are those which are incumbent upon 
all men ; and arise from the simple fact that they are mem- 
bers of the great community of man. These duties are ex- 
pressed by the prophet Micah in a few words. " He hath 

5. What is deducible from the above premises? 

6. What arises from the social condition ? 

7. What are general duties ? 

* Ps. 89:15,16. f Prov. 14:34. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



237 



shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord 
require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to 
walk humbly with thy God ?"* 

8. To do justly is to render to every one his rights ac- 
cording to the relation in which he stands to us. " Render, 
therefore," saith an apostle, " to all their dues: tribute to 
whom tribute is due ; custom to whom custom ; fear to whom 
fear ; honour to whom honour."f 

9. In every social compact, there necessarily exists a va- 
riety of orders ; and each order, in point of justice, is enti- 
tled to regard in exact proportion to the authority it possesses. 
Were our respect for individuals exclusively graduated by 
the standard of their worth, there would be an end to all 
government : social order would be subverted, and the ele- 
ments of society thrown back to their native state. Officers 
in the possession of the same power would be differently re- 
garded; every individual would be governed by his own 
estimate of the character of his rulers ; interference and colli- 
sion would inevitably ensue, and the dissolution of society 
would be the result. Hence is enjoined upon us the exercise 
of that justice, which respects every individual in exact pro- 
portion to the authority with which he is invested. 

1. If the performance of this duty is important in any 
country, it is peculiarly so in our own. Living as we do, 
under a free government, an exact and conscientious regard 
for the constitutionally invested power of its officers can 
alone impart to it harmony and durability. The bitter and 
savage spirit of party politics, now prevailing in every por- 
tion of our country, will, if not moderated by a sense of jus- 
tice, result in destructive consequences. It will sever the 

8. What is implied in doing justly? 

9. What exists in every social compact? 

1. Is doing justly to the several orders of society peculiarly important 
in this country ? 

* Micah 6:8. t Rom. 13:7. 



238 



A SYSTEM OP 



ligaments of our civil compact, and reduce the well-propor- 
tioned powers of government to anarchy and ruin. There 
can be no propriety in the action of government without ad- 
herence to fundamental principles ; and one of those princi- 
ples is, rendering " to all their dues : tribute to whom tri- 
bute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; 
and honour to whom honour." 

2. A conformity to this principle, however, should not be 
confined to the civil compact, but extended to every com- 
munity of which we are members. Every one should know 
his own place ; and every one should perform the duties apper- 
taining to that place. In every instance, a deviation from 
our own orbit is an infringement upon the rights of others, 
and consequently unjust. 

3. But in graduating our regard for those whom provi- 
dence hath placed above us, in proportion to their natural or 
adventitious eminence, we are not prevented from esteeming 
all, in accordance with their intrinsic worth. Every indi- 
vidual ought to be respected, in his private character, ac- 
cording to his own excellence. The claims of genius, of 
industry, of patriotism, and of virtue, are as much entitled 
to regard as the most perfect rights. Those malignant feel- 
ings which invest with darkness the brightest and purest ac- 
tions, and seek to injure and depress the objects of their 
envy, are the most guilty and degraded feelings that can 
operate on the human mind. They are directly in contra- 
vention to that holy law, which requires us to render to every 
one his due. 

4. Injurious, however, as the disregard of this require- 
ment is, there is, probably, nothing more common. The 
breath of slander is borne upon every breeze, and infuses 
its malignity into every circle. The fairest character, the 

2. Should doing justly be extended to the officers of all compacts? 

3. Should we regard men according to their own worth ? 

4. Is envy a common and prevailing sin? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



239 



purest virtue, and the brightest genius, are all exposed to its 
deadly operations. Envy, the offspring of little and cor- 
rupted minds, though denounced in every page of inspira- 
tion, has always been an active agent in the concerns of men. 
But common as the indulgence of this passion is, we are 
called upon, as members of the social compact, to render to 
every one his due. 

5. Nor will the observance of this rule prevent the exer- 
cise of particular kindness to our natural relatives. United 
to them as we are by ties of consanguinity, there are 
many reasons why we should cherish for them a peculiar 
regard. The voice of nature, the decisions of enlightened 
reason, and the language of holy writ, press upon us the 
performance of this duty; and the disregard of it has always 
been considered an evidence of deep depravity. He who 
disclaims particular regard for those in whose veins flows his 
own blood, and with whose prosperity is connected his own 
happiness, is alike at war with his own interests, and the 
best interests of the world. The voice of justice is, "Hus- 
bands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. 
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is 
fit in the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, 
lest they be discouraged. Children, obey your parents in all 
things." 

6. The neglect of this duty is not only a transgression of 
the law of justice, but a source of the greatest mischief. 
Misunderstandings among relatives poison, at the fountain 
head, their natural and sweetest comforts. Blighting the 
prospects of present and future happiness, they leave in their 
destructive train the severest evils which mingle in the cup 
of human suffering. # A brother offended is harder to be won 
than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of 
a castle. 

5. Should we be particularly kind to our natural relations ? 

6. What is the consequence of neglecting this duty? 



240 



A SYSTEM OF 



7. Nearly allied to this duty is that of being thankful to 
those who have done us good. Reciprocity, or, if this be 
impracticable, gratitude, under the benevolent dispensations 
of friends, is a duty as evidently growing out of the claims 
of justice as any other. He that receives without thankful- 
ness the kindness of his fellow creatures, possesses a depra- 
vation of morals which would lead him, under an assurance 
of impunity, to the commission of any crime. In the ca- 
lendar of human vices there is scarcely any tinctured more 
thoroughly with injustice than a forgetfulness of past favours. 
To return the kindness of others with indifference; to re- 
spond to their benefactions with unfeeling ceremony ; to take 
no interest in the happiness of those who have done us good, 
is, beyond a question, the very essence of injustice. It is 
sinning against the law of love, and the best interests of the 
universe. 

8. But whatever discrepancy of opinion may exist res- 
pecting our obligations to be thankful to benefactors, there 
certainly can be none in regard to reciprocity in business. 
It is clearly incumbent upon every one, in this respect, " to 
render to ail their dues." This alike contributes to our own 
interest, and the interest of the world at large. It creates 
confidence, facilitates the transaction of commerce, and saves 
the expense and trouble of litigation. In view 'of the im- 
portance of this duty, the scriptures are particularly empha- 
tic in urging the performance of it. " Ye shall do no un- 
righteousness," says God, " in judgment, in mete-yard, in 
weight, or in measure. Just balances, just weights, a just 
ephah, and a just hin, shall ye haye." # And St. Paul says, 
" let no man go beyond or defraud his brother in any matter : 
because that the Lord is the avenger of # all such."f 

7. Should we be grateful to those who have done us kindness? 

8. What is our duty in regard to commercial transactions? 



* Lev. 19:35, 36. 



t 1 Thes. 4:6. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



241 



9. Dependent as we are upon the benefactions of our com- 
mon Parent, it is incumbent on us, to the extent of our abil- 
ity, to help those who are in distress. The dispensation of 
property to objects of this description, is generally considered 
in the light of charity ; but it is a dispensation clearly within 
the claims of justice. The proprietor of all things, having 
lent us our possessions, upon the condition of appropriating 
a portion of them to those who need, such an appropriation 
is as just as it is necessary. He who is reduced to extreme 
want by the occurrence of events over which he had no con- 
trol, is as clearly entitled to our assistance, as if it were se- 
cured to him by the laws of the land. Were an individual 
to sink beneath the pressure of his wants in consequence of 
a refusal on our part to afford him aid, when that aid was 
subject to our will, we should be recorded in the book of God, 
as being accessary to his death. Affording relief, in cases 
of distress, is alike enforced by conscience, and the holy 
scriptures. " The poor," says God, " shall never cease out 
of the land : therefore I command thee, saying, thou shalt 
open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy 
needy in thy land."* 

t. Rendering to all their dues, implies a readiness, at all 
times, according to our ability, to make reparation to those 
whom we have injured. If at any time we have overreached 
the ignorant, or taken advantage of the poor, or defamed the 
innocent, it is incumbent on us to make reparation. Such is 
the importance of this duty, that the performance of it is es- 
sential to the christian character. " If a man shall cause a 
field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and 
shall feed in another man's field; — of the best of his own 
field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make 

| 

9. What is our duty in regard to the poor? 
1. What else does doing justly imply? 

* Deut. 15:11. 
21 



242 



A SYSTEM OF 



restitution."* " If a man shall take away violently any 
thing, he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add 
the fifth part thereto, and give it unto him to whom it apper- 
tained."! If 5 " said Zaccheus, " 1 have taken any thing 
from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold." 
And, approving his resolution, our saviour added, "this day 
is salvation come to thy house.":j: 

2. Nor should we forget that justice reqiures, in all our 
transactions, a conformity to truth. The violation of promi- 
ses ; the disappointment of hopes we may have created or 
cherished ; pretending to be what we are not, or not to be 
what we really are ; or in any wise departing from reality 
and fact, are acts absolutely prohibited by justice. The na- 
ture and truth of the divine Being, the interests of individuals 
and of communities, our own conscience, and the word of 
God, demand an abstinence from every species of disguise. 
" Wherefore," saith an apostle, " putting away lying, speak 
every man truth with his neighbour."^ And saith the wise 
man, " let not mercy and truth forsake thee : bind them about 
thy neck ; write them upon the table of thine heart ,* so shalt 
thou find favour and good understanding with God and man."|| 

3. Nor should we do justice merely to the external cir- 
cumstances of our fellow creatures ; but also to their mo- 
tives and character. Motives should be deemed pure unless 
they are known to be otherwise. If we could see as God 
sees, we should often, no doubt, discover motives of entire 
purity prompting to actions of doubtful character. Such is 
the variety of the temperament, feeling, and perception of 
human beings, that actions of bad tendency not unfrequently 
proceed from good motives. Shyness often results from dif- 
fidence, unmixed with the slightest antipathy; vehemence 

2. Does doing justly imply a conformity to truth? 

3. Does doing justly extend to motives as well as conduct ? 

* Exodus 22: 5. t Lev. 6: 5. % Luke 19:8, 9. § Eph. 4:25. 
|| Prov. 3 : 3, 4. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



243 



from natural warmth, entirely free from anger and ill will ; 
economy from a sense of duty, without a particle of parsi- 
mony ; apparent hauteur from education or temperament, 
infinitely removed from intended arrogance ; and indications 
of artifice and cunning without the slightest wish to deceive. 
Scarcely any thing in the scope of human enquiry admits 
of greater latitude of interpretation than the conduct of hu- 
man beings. The difference obtaining in their mental or- 
ganization, the degrees of their acquirements, the force of 
circumstances under which they act, and numerous other in- 
cidents, over which they have no control, often render inap- 
plicable the same standard of action to the conduct of every 
one. In regard to the feelings, motives, character, influence, 
and interest of our fellow beings, we, in all cases, should do 
unto them as we would wish, in a change of circumstances, 
to be done by. # This is the golden rule, to which we are 
bound, in all our actions, to conform. 

4. Whatever may have been the modifications of public 
worship, under the different dispensations of divine grace, 
there are certain principles of morality which have under- 
gone no alteration. Immutable as the source is from which 
they emanated, they now are what they have always been, 
and what they will forever be. From the earliest records 
of time down to the present moment, it has been invariably 
the duty of human beings " to do justly, love mercy, and 
walk humbly with God." This duty, growing out of the 
nature and relations of things, can never undergo any mod- 
ification while that nature, and those things continue as they 
now are. So long as the present constitution of the universe 
exists, it will be the unrevoked and irrevocable duty of hu- 
man beings to conform to the demands of justice. Every 
consideration that binds them to any duty, binds them with 

4. Are certain principles of morality unchangeable ? 

* Luke 6:31. 



244 



A SYSTEM OF 



equal force to the performance of this. The Creator himself 
is infinitely just ; and to his character every moral and intel- 
ligent creature is, according to his ability, bound to conform. 
Doing justly is, in itself, right; and no being, in the nature 
of things, can be exempted from doing this. The practice 
of justice contributes to our own happiness; and this object 
we are destined by our nature to pursue. Doing justly is 
promotive of the best interests of the universe, anti the 
neglect of this object is obviously criminal. God commands 
us to be just, and this command he enforces both by promises 
and threats. " If a man be just, and do that which is law- 
ful and right, and hath not oppressed any, but hath restored 
the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath 
given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked 
with a garment, he that hath not given forth upon usury, 
that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed 
true judgment between man and man, hath walked in my 
statutes, and kept my judgments, to deal truly, he is just; 
he shall surety live saith the Lord God."* " But the hope 
of unjust men perisheth."f 

5. The second general duty that we owe to our fellow 
creatures is "to love mercy" 

6. Mercy, says a learned writer, is that disposition of the 
mind w r hicb pities, and inclines us to relieve the miserable. 
It ought, however, to be distinguished carefully from those 
instinctive and cultivated feelings, which not unfrequently as- 
sume its aspects. The tenderness which suppresses admo- 
nition to a delinquent, because the administration of it would 
give him pain; the parental fondness which withholds cor- 
rection from a beloved child, when its disobedience renders 

5. Which is the second general duty that we owe to our fellow crea- 
tures ? 

6. What is mercy ? 

* Ezek. 18:5. t Prov. 11:7. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 245 

It necessary ; the pity of the magistrate, which suffers a 
criminal, injurious to society, to escape from deserved pun- 
ishment;, and the beneficence which indiscriminately gives 
to all who ask assistance — is not mercy, but weakness. 
While mercy, in its true and distinctive character, inclines 
us to pity and relieve the miserable, it inclines us to do this 
in accordance with justice. 

7. Considered in this light, the exercise of mercy is a duty 
of universal obligation. It is of the nature of that charitv 
which surfereth long, and is kind ; which envieth not ; vaunt- 
eth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself un- 
seemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, think- 
eth no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the 
truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all 
things, endureth all things, and never faileth."* 

8. The terms " mercy, kindness, and charity," are often 
used in the holy scriptures as synonymes of " love. 5 ' We 
shall employ them in this sense in the discussion of the pre- 
sent duty. u All the law," saith an apostle, " is fulfilled in 
in one word, even in this : thou shalt love thy neighbour as 
thyself."t 

9. The virtue enjoined in these words is, in the first 
place, disinterested: — thou shalt love thy neighbour as 
thyself. It may not, as some imagine, imply an absence of 
all reference to our own good, but it inclines us to seek this 
in subservience to the good of others. A total disregard of 
our own gratification is obviously impossible. A state of 
feeling of this kind would be in contradiction to the most ac- 
tive and efficient principles of human nature. But though, 
strictly and philosophically speaking, love may not divest us 
of all reference to our own interest, it implies those feelings 

7. Is the exercise of mercy of universal obligation ? 

8. Which are the synonymes of love? 

9. What is the first characteristick of love? 

* 1 Cor. 13:4-8. f Gal. 5: 14. 

21* 



246 



A SYSTEM OF 



which are the most delighted in doing good ; that range of 
benevolence which renders our own happiness dependent on 
promoting the happiness of others. To regard an individual 
simply because he is kind to us ; or to alleviate his wants 
merely because it contributes to our own interest, is not love, 
but selfishness. True benevolence, disdaining the dictates 
of a narrow and calculating policy, inclines us, to the ut- 
most of our ability, to pursue the happiness of the universe. 
Imparting sweetness to the natural ascerbities of our temper, 
and imbuing our hearts with universal kindness, it induces a 
compliance with the divine requirement, " Love your ene- 
mies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate 
you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and perse- 
cute you."* Unrestricted by the ties of consanguinity, the 
habits of association, circumstances of locality, or natural 
sympathy, christian charity extends its benignant wishes to 
the limits of creation. Dissolving the fetters of sectarian 
bigotry, overleaping the boundaries of political proscription, 
and renouncing the system of a selfish reciprocity, its aspi- 
rations are bounded only by the residence of sentient being. 

1. But notwithstanding the unlimited extent of charity, 
it is not without discrimination. Instead of prompting a 
promiscuous liberality, it conforms to the decisions of the 
strictest justice on comparative merit. Under its direction, 
we follow the example of our blessed lord, who graduated 
his approbation of human beings by the standard of moral 
excellence. His affections, even in the circle of his dis- 
ciples, were governed by the laws of justice. While he 
loved all, he loved some more than he loved others. And 
the benevolence of his heavenly Father, unbounded as it is, 
is graduated by the character of its objects. Loving moral 
beings in proportion to their moral excellence, he entertains 

1. What is the second eharacteristick of love? 

* Mat. 5:44. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



247 



for them as great a variety of intensity in his affections, as 
there are shades of difference in their character. Nor does 
he require a uniformity of feeling in us, he does not himself 
possess. 

2. Unlike circles formed upon the surface of the water, 
which die away as they recede from the centre of their 
movement, charity acquires strength as the sphere of its 
operation is enlarged. Many waters cannot quench love, 
neither can the floods drown it. Possessing an energy, which 
growing with the lapse of time, it operates, even in the ago- 
nies of death, with increasing vigour. This attribute of 
charity was illustriously exemplified in the conduct of the 
primitive christians. They jeoparded life, and every earthly 
consideration, to promote the happiness of mankind. And 
to some of their followers the same remark is still applicable, 
Amid the sufferings of burning climates, the snows of polar 
regions, and the most savage and inhospitable portions of 
the earth, they are triumphing over human perversity, and 
erecting enduring monuments of kindness. The plains of 
India, once whitened with the bones of deluded victims, and 
the cold and sterile mountains of Greenland and Labrador, 
in consequence of efforts of this description, now sustain a 
people who shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. 

3. Actuated by the impulses of christian kindness, we 
shall not be inactive a single moment. Our hands will be 
always open to supply the needy; and to every species of 
distress we shall be disposed to give relief. We shall be 
eyes to the blind, feet to the lame, and power to the weak. 
Strewing our paths with blessings of the richest kind, we 
shall brighten our extended course with cheerfulness and de- 
light. By untiring efforts in doing good, the wilderness and 
solitary places will be glad, and the deserts will rejoice, and 
blossom as the rose. 

2. Which is the third characteristiek of love ? 

3. What is the effect of the activity of love? 



248 



A SYSTEM OF 



4. But in the brightest exhibitions of usefulness charity 
is always modest. Instead of prompting us to place in the 
foreground the merit of our efforts, it inclines us to throw 
over them the mantle of oblivion. We do not our aims, 
under its impulses, to be seen of men ; neither do we sound 
a trumpet before us as the hypocrites do in the synagogues, 
and in the streets, that we may have glory of men ; but we 
give in secret, not letting our left hand know what our right 
hand doeth.* 

5. Charity, in a word, is of celestial origin. It originates 
not in the soul of revolted man, but in the power of the holy 
ghost ; not in the bosom of the carnally minded, but in the 
hearts of those who are born again. Affections renewed by 
the grace of God ; a conscience sprinkled with the blood of 
Christ, and a faith which is not feigned, are the only ele- 
ments in which it grows. It is the centre of every virtue; 
the grace and ornament of the christian character; or, in 
the language of St. Paul, the " bond of perfectness." What 
the girdle was to the Jewish traveller, charity is to the chris- 
tian pilgrim. As the former pressed together, and kept in 
its proper place his outward and flowing garments, giving to 
his whole dress an air of gracefulness and perfection ; so 
the latter, tempering the other graces, and confining them 
to their proper spheres, imparts to the character its highest 
excellence. 

6. Obligations to love our fellow-creatures arise from the 
similarity of our condition — the tendency of doing so to pro- 
mote universal happiness — the precepts of the holy scrip- 
tures — and the example of God. 

7. Created by the same hand, redeemed by the same blood, 

4. Which is the fourth characteristick of love? 

5. What is the origin of love ? 

6. Whence arise the obligations of love ? 
T. Which is the first source of obligation? 

* Man 6:1—4. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



249 



made partakers of the same hopes, and exposed to the same 
afflictions, it is certainly not unreasonable to cherish for one 
another the same feelings. Our sympathies, dependencies, 
and interests, all indicate the propriety of conforming to the 
law of kindness. Such is the instability of our temporal 
circumstances, it is not improbable that, in the course of 
human events, we may ourselves need the assistance we now 
possess the power to bestow on others. Often have we seen, 
in the circle of our own acquaintance, the sudden and unex- 
pected ruin of individuals, whose prospects were once as 
flattering as our own. Their morning arose without a cloud ; 
all above their horizon was calm and joyous ; but a cloud 
lowered upon the brow of night; the spirit of a coming storm 
moaned loudly in their ears ; and the tempest, bursting on 
their feeble bark, plunged them into hopeless ruin. And 
this may be our case ; the bare possibility of which exhorts 
us, in the language of St. Paul, " Bear ye one another's 
burdens ; and so fulfil the law of Christ. " # 

8. To reciprocate and cherish the benevolent affections, 
tend, in every instance, to our benefit. To love and be 
loved is the substance of human happiness. Bending, as we 
often are, beneath the pressure of affliction, nothing so ef- 
fectually sooths and animates the heart as the reciprocity of 
kindness. This is to the moral world what the sun is to the 
natural. Animated by the influence of fraternal love, life is 
divested of its bitterest ills. " Behold," says David, " how 
good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in 
unity ! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that 
ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard : that went 
down to the skirts of his garments ; as the dew of Hermon, 
and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion : 
for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for 
evermore."f 
8, Which is the second source of obligation? 

* Gal. 6:2. t Ps. 133. 



250 



A SYSTEM OF 



9. Nor is the happiness resulting from the exercise of 
charity bounded by the limits of mortality, but will endure 
forever. " Tongues may cease, and knowledge may vanish 
away, but charity never faileth." Love is no less the hap- 
piness of heaven, than it is of earth. 

L. The precepts of inspiration, in reference to this duty, 
are neither obscure nor undecided; but definite, perspicuous, 
and positive. " Be ye, therefore, merciful,"* saith Jesus 
Christ, " even as your Father which is in heaven is merci- 
ful, "f And after explaining the first and the great com- 
mandment, he added, the second is like unto it — " Thou 
shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.":): 

2. The duty of loving one another is enforced not only by 
the commandments of the Most High, but also by his ex- 
ample. " The Lord is good to all : and his tender mercies 
are over all his works. "§ " He maketh his sun to rise on 
the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the 
unjust. "|| " He so loved the world, that he gave his only 
begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not pe- 
rish, but have everlasting life."1F 

3. The particular duties which we owe to our fellow crea- 
tures arise from modifications of the social state. These 
modifications, as recognized in the word of God, are do- 
mestic, ecclesiastical, and political. 

9. Is the happiness of chaiity temporary? 

1. Which is the third source of obligation to love our fellow crea- 
tures ? 

2. Which is the highest source of obligation to charity? 

3. What do the particular duties we owe to our fellow creatures arise 
from? 

* The word perfect may be translated merciful. This is its proper 

meaning, as the context plainly shows, 
t Mat. 5:48. t Mark 12:31. § Ps. 145:9. || Mat. 5:45. H John 3:16. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



251 



4. The domestic modification comprehends the conjugal, 
parental, filial, and servile relations. 

5. That the marriage, or conjugal relation is agreeable to 
the will of God is evident from the existence of the sexes — 
the feelings of human nature — its subservience to the propa- 
gation of the species — its tendency to promote happiness — 
and the requirements of the scriptures. The duties arising 
from this relation are fidelity and affection* 

6. Individuals entering the marriage state are bound by 
the most solemn and imperative considerations to forsake all 
others, and cleave unto themselves only. This is evident 
from the benefits of fidelity — the declarations of holy scrip- 
ture — and the nature of the marriage covenant. 

7. A congenial and exclusive union of the hearts of the 
married pair, is alike the basis of their own happiness, and 
that of their whole family. It is the nucleus of domestic or- 
der and domestic prosperity. Wherever this exists, in its 
full strength, there is seldom the absence of other virtues. It 
not only sets an influential and salutary example, but tends 
jto unite children in the bonds of confidence and love, to en- 
courage domestic industry, economy, and all the social vir- 
tues, and to purify, at the fountain head, the most prolific 
source of human comfort. 

8. Connubial fidelity, accordingly, is urged in the holy 
scriptures with uncommon earnestness. In the dispensation 
of the moral law, amid thunderings, lightnings, and the aw- 
ful manifestations of divine power, God proclaimed, " Thou 
shalt not commit adultery." And the crime here interdicted 
is uniformly treated in the holy scriptures as the most loath- 
some, and deeply imbued with turpitude, of any in the calen- 

4. What does the domestic modification comprehend? 

5. Is the marriage state agreeable to the will of God ? 

6. What is the first duty arising from this relation? 

7. Which is the first reason for connubial fidelity? 

8. Which is the second reason for connubial fidelity ? 



252 



A SYSTEM OF 



dar of human vices. " The man," saith God, " that com- 
mitteth adultery with another, man's wife^the adulterer and 
the adulteress shall surely be put to death."*' And " because 
they have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, I 
will deliver them into the hands of Nebuchadrezzar, king of 
Babylon ; and he shall slay them before your eyes."f 

9. That the marriage state involves inviolable and perpe- 
tual obligations to fidelity, is evident from the reply of our 
saviour to the pharisees. When they asked, " Is it lawful 
for a man to put away his wife for every cause?" he said 
unto them, " Have ye not read that he which made them 
at the beginning made them male and female, and said, for 
this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall 
cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh. 
Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What, 
therefore, God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.":): 
1. From the tenor of this passage, and of others of a si- 
milar import, it is evident that when individuals enter the 
marriage state they twain become one, never to be separated 
in feeling, in interest, or in pursuits, till death dissolves the 
marriage contract. This is the purport of the connubial 
covenant, and a violation of it is destructive of the best in- 
terests of the social state. " As crimes of this nature," says 
Dr. Dwight, " become less and less unfrequent, they become 
less and less scandalous; and by all who are inclined to per- 
petrate them, they are esteemed less and less sinful : of course 
they are regarded with decreasing reluctance and horror. 
The father practises them, and with his example corrupts the 
son. The husband in the same manner corrupts his wife; 
the brother his brother; the friend his friend; the neighbour 
his neighbour. Soon the brothel raises its polluted walls, 

9. Which is the third reason for connubial fidelity? 
11 What is evident from the passage just quoted? 



* Lev. 20:10. 



f Jer. 29:20—23. 



X Mat. 19:3—6. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



253 



and becomes a seminary of Satan; where crimes are pro- 
vided;, taught; perpetrated; multiplied without number, and 
beyond degree; and, to a great extent, concealed from the 
public eye. To one of theie caverns of darkness and death 
another succeeds, and another; until the city, and ultimately 
the whole land, becomes one vast Sodom. Lost to every 
thought of reformation, and to every feeling of conscience, 
an astonishment, and hissing, of mankind ; a, reprobate of 
heaven ; it invokes upon the heads of its polluted inhabitants 
a new tempest of fire and brimstone. Morals, life, and hope, 
to such a community, have expired. They breathe, indeed, 
and move, and act; and, to a careless eye, appear as living 
.beings. But the life is merely a counterfeit. They are only 
a host of moving corpses ; an assembly of the dead, destined 
to no future resurrection. Disturbed and restless spectres, 
they haunt the surface of the earth in material forms, filling 
the sober and contemplative mind with alarm and horror, 
* until they finally disappear, and hurry through the gloomy 
mansions of the grave to everlasting woe." 

2. Fidelity, however, is not the only virtue comprehended 
in the marriage covenant. It requires affection of the high- 
est and purest kind. Individuals united by holy wedlock 
should have but one feeling, one* wish, and one effort; and 
that should be the reciprocation of love. To the man his 
wife should be his light, his joy, and the object of his ten- 
derest solicitude; and to the wife her husband should be her 
solace, her glory', and the unceasing object of her reverence 
and affection. Their souls should be absorbed by one pre- 
vailing wish, and that should be to make each other happy 
in the Lord. " Husbands," saith an apostle, " love your 
wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave him- 
self for it. So ought men to love their wives as their own 
bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man 



2. Is fidelity the only virtue comprehended in the marriage covenant? 
22 



254 



A SYSTEM OP 



ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth 
it, even as the Lord the church : for we are members of his 
body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall- a 
man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto 
his wife, and they two shall be one flesh." # And " wives 
submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the 
Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as 
Christ is the. head of the church : and he is the saviour of 
the body. Therefore, as the church is subject unto Christ, 
so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing."f 

3. The second relation existing in the domestic circle is 
parental. From this arise the duties of parents. These du- # 
ties, though numerous in detail, are all comprehended in one, 
namely, the proper training of their children. Education, 
in the full meaning of the term, implies that system of cul- 
ture, whether public or otherwise, which elicits and improves 
the capabilities of human nature; which calls into salutary | 
exercise, and puts under proper discipline, the intellectual^ 
moral, and animal faculties of man ; imparting to him power 
for the effective and graceful accomplishment of the several 
duties, which, in the order of divine providence, may be in- 
cumbent on him to perform. Any thing less than this, how- 
ever brilliant and fascinating in its nature and results, falls 
short of an adequate and finished education. 4: 

4. The obligations of parents to train up their children in 
the right way, arise from the effects of this action in refer- 
ence to themselves, to their children, and their country, .and 
from the requirements of God. 

He that neglects the early and proper training of his chil- 
dren, will certainly be repaid with disobedience and unkind- 

3. Which is the second relation existing in the domestic circle ? 

4. From what arise the obligations of parents to train up their chil- 
dren in the right way ? 

* Eph. 5 : 25, and on. t Eph. 5 : 22—24. X Preface. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



255 



ness ; will sooner or later feel, in its full force, " how sharper 
than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child." And, 
in his last hours, what will be his anguish, when knowing 
ihat his children will soon be left without a parent, without 
instruction, and without piety ; and that, owing to his delin- 
quency, they will, not improbably, be lost forever ! Under 
such circumstances, with what feelings will he bid adieu to 
his afflicted children ! What can he say to sooth their agi- 
tated minds, and atone for his past neglect? Can he exhort 
them to follow him as he had followed Christ, when he had 
not followed him at all? Will hot the recollections of his 
past unfaithfulness harrow up his feelings, and give to death 
a tenfold bitterness? But the process of dissolution, with all 
its terrors, will be infinitely less oppressive than the day of 
judgment. Then will he behold his delinquency in all its 
consequences. He will receive the sentence of condemna- 
tion, not from his judge only, but also from his children : 
you are the cause, they will say, of our coming to this un- 
happy end. Had you prayed with us, instructed us in our 
faith and duty, and taught us by a good example how to 
live, we should not have died impenitent, and come to this 
place of suffering* 

5. But while the neglect of parental duties is always at- 
tended with parental sufferings, the right performance of 
them seldom fails to be productive of different results. 
" Train up a child in the way he should go," says Solomon, 
" and when he is old he will not depart from it." This de- 
claration undoubtedly was intended by the wise man to be 
understood with some limitation. That children brought up 
in the best possible manner, after the removal of parental 
restraint, have lapsed into vicious habits, is a position too 
evident to be denied. All, therefore, that he intended was, 
that if children are trained up in the right way, they will 



5. What results from the right performance of parental duties? 



256 



A SYSTEM OF 



generally not depart from it. And, subject to this restriction, 
the declaration contains a truth as indisputable as it is impor- 
tant. Whatever may be the origin and laws of habit, it in- 
dubitably exerts over the human mind a prodigious influence. 
It is this which forms the character, controls the dispositions, 
and directs the movements of individuals and nations. Ope- 
rating directly upon the most active and efficient principles 
of human nature, it not unfrequently assumes over them a 
paramount control. An early and proper training, aided by 
the influence of habit, will therefore seldom fail to realize 
the hopes of parents. They will have the happiness, gen- 
erally, of seeing their children, in after life, exemplify those 
filial and tender virtues, which had been impressed upon 
them in their youth. Receiving from them all the' attentions 
and affectionate assiduities their circumstances require, they 
will at length finish their protracted pilgrimage, and descend 
to the peaceful grave, under the benedictions and caresses of 
their offspring. Nor will they, in the final audit, only meet 
the approbation of their judge themselves, but have the un- 
speakable felicity of saying, " here I am, and the children 
thou hast given me." 

6. And-while the faithful performance of parental duties 
promotes the happiness of parents, it, in every way, contri- 
butes to the advantage of children. The well educated 
youth, under the ordinary blessings of a gracious providence, 
never fails to experience, in mind and body, the healthful in- 
fluence of his early training. Like a scion, shooting from 
a vigorous stock, watered by a living stream, and nourished 
by a fertile soil, he retains, even in old age, the freshness and 
beauty of youth. Of the influence of a judicious and early 
training, in this respect, we have many proofs. We often 
perceive in the health of those who are mindful of the di- 
vine requirements in early life, and in that of those who are 

6. Does the faithful performance of parental duties promote the hap- 
piness of children ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



257 



reckless of the laws of God, a marked and decided difference. 
The latter not unfrequently exhibit, at an early age, symp- 
toms of a rapid decline. Their bodily functions are deranged, 
the faculties of their minds impaired; and, under the pressure 
of disease, they sink, in the morning of their life, into the 
silent grave. 

7. Solomon, in describing the effects of wisdom, tells us, 
"that length of days and long life are in her hands'; — that 
the fear of God prolongeth days ; but the years of the wicked 
shall be shortened." That a forgetfulness of God, and a vio- 
lation of his laws, tend to shorten life, is a truth as philosoph- 
ical as it is obvious. The intemperance of the pleasure taker, 
the anxiety of the ambitious, the mortification of the spend- 
thrift, and the anguish of the guilty, as certainly accelerate 
the progress of their dissolution as day succeeds night. Were 
the map of human existence now spread before us, we should 
behold wrecks of animated hopes, fragments of splendid pro- 
jects, traces of daring deeds, and marks of lofty genius, all 
buried in promiscuous ruin by the recklessness of youth ; 
should see the bones of disobedient children bleaching in 
foreign countries ; hearts of widowed mothers bleeding over 
the memory of ungrateful sons; bereaved relatives pining 
in the recollection of prodigal friends; and whole kingdoms 
mourning over beloved but ruined citizens. It is now — it 
always has been — and it will forever be a maxim of the di- 
vine government, — that the wicked shall not live out half 
their days.* 

8. And while the early government of the intellectual and 
moral powers contributes to health and long life, it never 
fails to ensure respect. That a blind and intemperate zeal, 
in matters of religion, is not unfrequently mischievous and 
disreputable, we readily admit ; but that in a christian coun- 

7. What does Solomon say«in respect to the effects of wisdom ? 

8. Does education insure respect? 

* Ps. 55 : 23. 
22* 



258 



A SYSTEM OP 



try, where the conscience is formed and governed by the 
laws of God, an humble and devout acknowledgment of the 
divine Being, and a prompt submission to his requirements, 
are calculated to injure the reputation is not possible. With 
but few exceptions, arising from a happy temperament and 
propitious circumstances, the impugner of the divine govern- 
ment is as vvretched in his morals as he is defective in his 
faith. And that such an one, in a community of christians, 
should be much esteemed is not to be expected. In the pos- 
session of the finest talents, and the most abundant riches, 
if we are regardless of Him who made us, faithless to our 
own interests, and reckless of the rights of others, we, in- 
fallibly, shall be despised. This remark, which is true in 
regard to every one, is particularly so in reference to the 
young. We instinctively shudder at the exhibition of crime 
in youth, while we fold to our hearts, with feelings of de- 
light, the one who indicates in early life a lofty and conscien- 
tious regard for duty. Nor will the case ever alter while 
human nature continues as it is. We are inclined naturally 
to prefer the humble to the arrogant ; the liberal to the nig- 
gardly ; the industrious to the indolent; the frugal to the ex- 
travagant ; and the honourable to the mean. Hence says 
the wise man, " with all thy getting get understanding. Ex- 
alt her, and she shall promote thee; she will bring thee to 
honour, when thou dost embrace her. She will give to 
thine head an ornament of grace : a crown of glory shall 
she deliver thee. % 

9. While an early and conscientious performance of our 
duty seldom fails to conciliate esteem, it secures to us the 
promise of every other blessing. " Seek ye first the king- 
dom of God, and his righteousness," saith Jesus Christ, " and 
all these things shall be added unto you."f Although chris- 

9. Does a religious education secure the promises of God ? 



* Prov. 4: 7, 8. 



t Mat. 6:33. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



259 



tianity commands us to love not the world, nor the things 
that are in the world ; it assures us that the " meek shall in- 
herit the earth."* " Godliness is profitable unto all things, 
having promise of the life which now is, and of that which 
is to come."f The habits and feelings of a pious man are 
peculiarly adapted to the attainment of earthly good* In- 
dustrious, honest, temperate, and economical, he, of all others, 
is the most likely to become easy in his circumstances. He 
is forbidden, it is true, from oppressing and overreaching his 
fellow-creatures ; or, in any wise, doing unto them as he 
would not have them do unto him; yet he is permitted, and 
even commanded to pursue, in the most certain way of suc- 
cess, the maintenance and comfort of his family, under an 
assurance that God will prosper him in his basket and his 
store; and that whatsoever his hand doeth it shall prosper. 

1* And while the tendency of an early and thorough edu- 
cation is to secure to us the blessings we have already no- 
ticed, it tends infallibly to strengthen the intellect. 

2. Observation, analogy, and experience, all show that the 
mental faculties, like the organs of sensation, acquire strength 
in proportion to their exercise. Minds inured to the process 
of combination, abstraction, and comparison, are obviously 
more acute than those which have been unused to those ope- 
rations. The productions of accomplished artists and of 
untutored Indians, are no more dissimilar in point of excel- 
lence than are their mental energies. Why did Aristotle? 
Plato, and Seneca acquire pre-eminence in abstract and me- 
taphysical discussion ? Because they had been trained, in 
early life, to efforts of this description. Why did Demos- 
thenes and Tully possess the power to move, to rouse, and to 
captivate multitudes, courts, and senates ? Because, under 

1. Does education strengthen the intellect? 

2. How is this fact proved ? 



* Mat. 5: 5, 



t lTim.4:8. 



260 



A SYSTEM OF 



accomplished teachers, they had studied the arts of rhetor- 
ick and elocution ; had, while their faculties were yet pliant, 
not only resorted to the portico, the grove, and the forum, 
but travelled in foreign countries, and by intense thought, and 
discriminating observation, improved their faculties for this 
purpose. Why, in later times, did Newton, Boyle, and Ba- 
con, penetrating the arcana of nature, push their investiga- 
tions to the boundaries of matter, and calculate the elements 
of stars? Because their minds, invigorated by exercise, ac- 
quired an activity that would not be confined to objects of 
less dimensions. Why did the minds of Chatham, Burke, 
and our own illustrious worthies of the revolution, penetrate 
the dark clouds of despotism, and discover, and hold up to 
view, with arguments not to be resisted, the just principles 
of civil government? Because they had been impelled, by 
the force of circumstances, to investigate and master these 
intricate topics. But specifications were endless : For the 
development of talent and mental greatness, in every in- 
stance, has been owing to circumstances, resulting in the 
production and classification of thought; and this, strictly 
speaking, is education, be the process by which they are ac- 
quired what it may. Nature furnishes the elements of great- 
ness, but exercise and discipline impart to them consistency 
and form. Be the native vigour of a savage what it may, 
he can no more grapple with the energies of educated mind, 
than he can stay the tempest or direct the lightning. The 
intensely thoughtful, in every period, have acquired power 
that, for good or evil, has controlled the world. Such is the 
energy, produced by intellectual effort, that every thing, ul- 
timately, submits to its government. The excitements of 
folly, and the deliriums of passion, all yield, in time, to the 
dominion of thought. Nor is the power of this agency lim- 
ited to the social circle, but extends to the physical elements. 
By the force of mental discipline space has been annihilated, 
disease vanquished, civil liberty defined, the charter of - sal- 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



261 



vation explained, and nature herself put under contributions 
to man. 

3. And while education, by concentrating and directing 
the mental faculties, imparts to them increased energy, it 
likewise extends the sphere of their operation. 

4. This position, though intimately connected with the 
one we have just noticed, is nevertheless distinct from it. 
Intellectual strength, and intellectual range, may, or may 
not, co-exist in the same person. Be our native vigour what 
it may, it will, necessarily, be circumscribed without ac- 
quirements. Had the mind of Newton not been enlarged by 
education, his mental powers would, probably, have been 
restricted in their operations to the place of his nativity ; but 
in consequence of early and thorough training they over- 
leaped the limits of the world, and of the solar system, and 
traversed the fields of space. He not only took the dimen- 
sions of the sun, and demonstrated the elements of the 
planets, but extended his calculations to the stars, and the 
remote wanderings of the comet. Not exhausted by mea- 
suring the plane of the ecliptic, the orbits of the planets, and 
illustrating their multiform laws and motions, he pushed his 
investigations tp other systems, and applied his mathematics 
to other suns. Orbs, rolling in boundless space, from whose 
surface, bodies, flying at the rate of four hundred miles per 
hour, would not reach the globe on which we live in six 
hundred thousand years, were subjected to his scrutiny. 
Notwithstanding the native imbecility of mind, it becomes, 
in virtue of proper training, in some sort, illimitable. By 
the light of history it becomes acquainted with the past; by 
analogy, and the aid of revelation, it acquires a knowledge 
of the future; and by mathematics, and the natural sciences* 
it discusses the laws and extent of the universe. 

3. Does education extend the sphere of intellectual operation ? 

4. How is this fact proved ? 



262 



A SYSTEM OF 



5. Nor does education merely strengthen the intellect, and 
extend the sphere of its operation, but also multiplies sources 
of enjoyment. 

6. To the mind illumined by science and the light of 
heaven, every thing in nature is a source of comfort. The 
earth, with its rugged mountains, extended plains, and fertile 
valleys; the ocean, with its placid surface, and destructive 
storms; the rivers, winding their healthful and refreshing 
courses to the mighty deep; and all the violent and gentle 
phenomena of nature; present objects interesting and de- 
lightful. Even in the retirement of .the closet, surrounded 
by the winter's blast, and oppressed with the decrepitudes of 
age, the pages of inspiration, the beauties of eloquence, the 
labours of the artist, and the splendid triumphs of science, 
never fail to be sources of enjoyment. From the enchant- 
ing summit of Parnassus, and the gushing streams of Heli- 
con, the genuine scholar derives unceasing and ineffable de- 
light. Nor is his enjoyment diminished when he raises his 
contemplation to the beauties of the skies. Those massy 
orbs, whose magnitudes are more than twelve hundred 
thousand times greater than the globe on which we live, 
describing circles almost beyond the reach of thought, at- 
tracting lesser worlds around them as their common centres, 
exhibiting the phenomena of annual and diurnal motion, 
moving under the influence of forces, all eccentric and all 
harmonious, — excite and cherish in his bosom the sublimest 
feelings. One day spent in contemplating, as we ought, the 
stupendous structure and economy of nature, yields infinitely 
greater satisfaction than sensualists ever did, or ever can en- 
joy. Then it is 

11 The soul grows conscious of her birth celestial, 
And feels at home among the stars." 

5. Does education multiply sources of enjoyment? 

6. How is this fact proved? 



MOEAL PHILOSOPHY. 



263 



7. The christian student, in tracing the pages of inspira- 
tion, discovers, in the brightest characters, the goodness of 
his Creator. He is assured that God so loved the world that 
he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in 
him should not perish, but have everlasting life ; and from 
this assurance he derives a peace which the world can nei- 
ther give nor take away. Reconciled to God through the 
merits of the cross, he receives the aid of his almighty grace, 
which enables him not only to pass in triumph the waves of 
this troublesome world, but to secure for himself, beyond the 
grave, an inheritance, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, 
eternal in the heavens. Here, then, is a source of happi- 
ness, unspeakable, and full of glory. * 

8. Nor are the benefits of education confined to the indi- 
viduals who receive and bestow it, but extend, indefinitely, 
to every portion of the community. He who gives to the 
public a well educated child is a benefactor to his country. 
The subject of that system of instruction which develops 
and improves his intellectual, moral, and animal faculties ; 
which approximates him to his original excellence, and makes 
him, in some degree, what he ought to be, is, in point of 
usefulness, as much superior to the wandering Arab, or the 
untutored Indian, as the sun, in brightness, is superior to a 
taper. Spread before you the History of the World, and 
tell us where the benefactors of their race have lived. Has 
it been in the dark recesses of the forest, and under the con- 
ditions of savage life? or has it not been in the temples of 
science, the seats of learning, and the abodes of civilization 
and refinement? Who, we ask, have laid, in justice and 
equal rights, the foundations of civil governments? Who 

7. What effect, upon the student, has reading the scriptures? 

8. Are the benefits of education confined to this life? 

* See Sermon on the Importance of Education, by the author. 



264 



A SYSTEM OF 



have conducted, with benignity and success, the destructive 
and eventful operations of war? Who have founded scien- 
tific and literary institutions, and extended the facilities of 
moral and intellectual improvement from the palace to the 
cottage? Who have reared the standard of the cross, and 
carried to the burning sands of Africa, the inhospitable re- 
gions of Lapland, and the pestilential morasses of India, the 
consolations of pardon and salvation ? Who have improved 
and multiplied the arts, spread a charm over the residence of 
man, and made the desert to bud and blossom as the rose? 
The answer is — the educated. They, in all ages, have been 
the benefactors of their species ; the light of this benighted 
world ; the salt of this polluted earth ; and the solace of this 
vale of tears. An energy, growing out of their endeavours, 
united to the greater energy of the gospel, has extended to 
human beings all that is requisite to train the intellect, to 
adorn the heart, to delight the fancy, and to please the senses. 
Compare, for a moment, the history of an individual who 
has been properly improved by education with that of one 
who has never, in any sense, enjoyed its benefits. The 
former, with his mental and moral faculties trained to har- 
monious operation, is continually doing good. He feeds the 
hungry, clothes the naked, and gives drink to the thirsty. 
His energies are all directed to the common interest. In 
every enterprise, having for its object the general welfare, 
he is foremost. In extending knowledge, patronizing the 
arts, improving government, increasing the facilities of in- 
tercourse, invigorating commerce, developing the resources 
of his country, and adding to the triumphs of Christianity, 
he is active and successful. But the unhappy one, who lives 
enveloped in his native darkness, w 7 hose mind, like the tan- 
gled wilderness, has never yielded to the hand of training 
and improvement, presents a picture exactly the reverse* 
Ignorant, selfish, and unamiable, he roams the solitary 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



265 



forest, or haunts the sinks of dissipation, spending his days 
in idleness or unavailing labour, and at last dies unpitied 
and forgotten. 

9. The effects of education on the public weal are such, 
that God, in every age, has regarded it with marked atten- 
tion. ' " These words," said he, " which I command thee 
this day, shall be in thine heart; and thou shalt teach them 
diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when 
thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the 
way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 
And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and 
they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt 
, write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates."* 
And St. Paul says, " Provoke not your children to wrath ; 
but bring them up^ in the nurture and admonition of the 
Lord."f 

1. The third relation existing in the domestic circle is 
filial. This comprehends the duties of children. These 
duties are all included in one word, namely, obedience. 
" Children," saith the apostle Paul, " obey your parents in 
the Lord : for this is right":]: 

2. Filial obedience, in the first place, is urged by divine au- 
thority. " Ye," said God, to his ancient people, " shall fear 
every man his mother and father."§ And in the decalogue, 
" honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be 
long in the land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee.|| 

3. And these injunctions, like all others proceeding from 
the same source, are corroborated by the decisions of expe- 
rience and enlightened reason. 

9. What has God said respecting the education of youth ? 

L Which is the third relation existing in the domestic circle? 

2. How, in the first place, is filial obedience urged ? 

3. What is the nature of these injunctions ? 

*Deut. 6:6—9. tEph.6:4. tEpb.6:l. § Lev. 19: 3. ||Exo.20:12. 

23 



266 



A SYSTEM OF 



4. Notwithstanding children, in the possession of strong 
feelings, animated hopes, and wayward wills, generally sup- 
pose themselves the best qualified to be their own counsel- 
lors, experience has long since shewn that this is not the 
fact. They are placed in the midst of a novel, treacherous, 
and enticing world, without knowing the hazard to which 
they are exposed. All around them seems to be fresh and 
fair, while ruin is concealed beneath the scene. It is expe- 
rience, and experience only, which can guide them in the 
path of safety, and this they have not. Governed by their 
impetuous spirits, beguiled by their imagination, urged on- 
ward by a confidence in their own powers, and intensely 
thirsting for the pleasures of the world, they are often, at an 
early period, involved in the greatest troubles. It is then 
proper that their parents, who have trodden the rugged paths of 
life, witnessed the deceitfulness of the human heart, and expe- 
rienced the bitterness of their own folly, should be their coun- 
sellors. To these monitors, whose heads have been frosted 
by many winters ; whose feelings have been chastened by 
long experience, and whose judgment has been matured by 
deep reflection, they should be attentive and obedient listeners. 
In them God has provided guides to direct their trembling 
feet, and to their instructions they should not be heedless. 

5. Besides the pre-eminent qualifications of parents to in- 
struct their children, they are entitled to peculiar confidence 
from the character of their affection. The purity and irre- 
pressible energy of parental love, can be comprehended only 
by those who feel it. God, in illustrating the intensity of 
his kindness toward them who fear him, alludes to the ardour 
of maternal love. " Can," says he, " a woman forget her 
sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the 
son of her womb ?" No, she cannot. So long as nature 
remains unaltered at the fountain head, she will cling to her 

4. How is this fact proved ? 

5. Which is the next reason for filial obedience ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



267 



helpless offspring. Deep in her bosom is implanted a ten- 
derness of feeling, which time, nor circumstance can ever 
quench. Votaries of human glory may become indifferent 
to the praise of men ; lovers of worldly pleasure abandon the 
object they have long pursued; the avaricious remit their 
pursuit of gold, and the chivalric forget their most sacred 
vows, but the parent can never become indifferent to the in- 
terests of his children. It is for them he toils, for them he 
prays, and for them he lives. If his children were blotted 
from existence, the universe, to him, would become a blank. 
His heart, which now beats with hope, and joy, and the ani- 
mated feelings of paternal love, would wither into apathy. 

6. Such affection, surely, is entitled to peculiar confidence. 
It claims the obedience of children upon the ground of their 
own interest. In the wishes of a parent there may, indeed, 
be ignorance, but there scarcely can be a want of kindness. 
Here there is no room for selfish and ungracious feelings. 
Their offspring being bone of their bone, and flesh of their 
flesh, it is impossible for parents to be reckless of their in- 
terest. 

7. The parent's happiness is intimately dependent on the 
child's obedience. Had we the power to describe the poig- 
nancy of parental sufferings occasioned by the disobedience 
of ungrateful children, we should exhibit a precision and 
force in this remark never disclosed before. Possessing as 
parents do an absorbing solicitude for their children's welfare, 
they experience a consuming anguish in the event of disap- 
pointment. Often has the disobedience of a beloved child 
brought down the grey hairs of an affectionate parent with 
sorrow to the grave. In the narrow limits of our own ac- 
quaintance we not un frequently behold the tombs of departed 
youths, whose career was prematurely terminated by their 
own folly, watered by the tears of broken-hearted parents. 

6. What is such affection entitled to? 

7. Which is the next reason for filial obedience ? 



268 



A SYSTE3I OF 



The lamentation of David, " O my son Absalom ! my son, 
my son Absalom ! would God I had died for thee ! O Absa- 
lom, my son, my son!" is repeated by many a pining and 
dejected parent. And in cases much less aggravated, the 
undutiful conduct of children has produced in the parental bo- 
som an overwhelming sorrow, a torturing apprehension, which 
death or reformation only can remove. On the other hand, 
the moral and pious conduct of children never fail to afford 
their parents the greatest happiness. The parental bosom, 
in hope of the prosperity of its tender charge, warms, ex- 
pands, and overflows with joy. Heaven never bestowed 
upon human beings an earthly boon more productive of de- 
lightful feelings than children of an early, protracted, and 
continued promise. Often have we seen the tear of joy 
gather in the parent's eye, while beholding in his children's 
conduct the pledges of future greatness. This moment mil- 
lions of human bosoms are swelling with the purest joy, in 
the anticipation of the future prosperity of their children ; 
feeling that death itself w T ould be less intolerable than a dis- 
appointment of their hopes. 

O ye children, who are reckless of your filial duties, con- 
sider, we beseech you, the consequence. You plant daggers 
in the bosoms of your nearest friends ; you strew their paths 
with the sharpest thorns; and accelerate, with unwonted 
haste, their passage to the tomb! Think upon their flowing 
tears ; their bitter sighs ; their sleepless nights ; and hence- 
forth comply with their requirements. Heaven has made 
you capable of producing the sweetest happiness, or impart- 
ing the bitterest misery to your parents; and surely you can- 
not hesitate a moment in selecting the alternative. 

8. To disregard the authority of her who bore us ; who 
watched over us in our tende rest years ; taught our trembling 
feet to move aright, and our tongue to call her mother ; to 

8. What is the character of filial disobedience ? 



/ 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



269 



contemn the commands of him who provided for our early 
wants ; prepared us, by his instructions, for future useful- 
ness ; and feels for us the affection of a father, is, in the 
estimation of everyone, disgraceful. There is not; there 
cannot be among us a more odious and repulsive character 
than a thankless and disobedient child. The ringer of scorn 
invariably points him out as the proper object of invective 
and contempt. Having ruptured the tenderest bonds of the 
social state; recklessly wounded the feelings of his best 
friends ; and quenched in his own bosom the loveliest feel- 
ings of his nature, he is justly esteemed the foulest of the 
foul. Children who anticipate the wishes of their parents, 
comply with their requirements, long for the promotion of 
their happiness, rejoice in their prosperity, and mourn over 
their afflictions, are noticed with feelings of complacency by 
all around them. The tongue of eloquence bestows upon 
them the highest praise ; the feeling heart renders them the 
most decisive homage ; and the living and dying blessings of 
their parents afford them the richest consolation. But dis- 
obedient children are guilty of so many violations of pro- 
priety; so many departures from the path of virtue, and so 
many disruptions of the social ties, that, in the view of every 
serious and reflecting individual, they are odious and con- 
temptible. 

9. But this consideration, powerful as it is, is not the 
greatest one which urges children to obey their parents. It 
is a fact, sustained by the current of inspiration, that their 
present and eternal happiness, in no small degree, is de- 
pendent on the performance of this duty. Elementary in its 
nature, fruitful in its consequences, and emphatical in its 
enforcement as it is, it can never be neglected with impunity. 
Every motive that should operate on the human mind is pre- 
sented to the view of children, to induce in them obedience 



9, What other consideration urges children to obey their parents? 
23* 



270 



A SYSTEM OF 



.to their parents. They are assured, that in the performance 
of this duty they shall receive the blessing of their heavenly 
Father in the life which now is, and also in that which is to 
come ; but that in the neglect of it, his chosen curses shall 
rest upon them in every period of their being. " God," we 
are told, " blesseth the habitation of the just ; and that the 
house of the righteous shall flourish." Illustrative of this 
fact, it was said to the children of Jonadab, " Because ye 
have obeyed the commandment of your father, and kept all 
his precepts, and done according to all that he hath com- 
manded you ; therefore, thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the 
God of Israel, Jonadab shall not want a man to stand before 
me forever."* 

1. But while the holy scriptures abound with promises to 
obedient children, they exhibit the most awful denunciations 
against those who are disobedient. Under the law of Moses 
it was said, " He who smiteth his father or his mother shall 
surely be put to death." And the " eye," saith Solomon, 
" that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, 
the raven of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles 
shall eat it." Nor has the punishment of filial disobedience 
been mitigated by the introduction of the gospel. There is 
often seen, even in the present world, a peculiar manifesta- 
tion of the divine displeasure toward those who had been dis- 
obedient to their parents. Abandoned by the holy spirit, 
and given up to the wickedness of their own hearts, they not 
unfrequently pursue a course ending in the ruin of their pro- 
perty, the injury of their reputation, and the premature ex- 
tinction of their lives. And what is reserved for them in 
another world, the most lively imagination is incompetent to 
conceive. Could we raise the veil which hides eternity from 
our view, we should see disobedient children suffering the 
fiercest tortures of an unappeasable and condemning consci- 
ence. 

1. How are disobedient children threatened ? 

* Jer. ch. 35. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



211 



2. The next relation existing in the domestic modification 
of society that we intend to notice is, that which subsists be- 
tween masters and servants. 

3. That the existence of these orders is agreeable to the 
will of God, is evident, not only from the facts that they are 
unavoidable and beneficial, but also from the manner in 
which they are recognized in the holy scriptures. An abso- 
lute equality in the constituents of any form of society is 
neither possible nor desirable. /From the nature and consti- 
tution of a social compact, a variety of occupations necessa- 
rily follows ; and to these occupations human beings will 
resort according to their capacity and adaptations. The 
division and appropriation of labour, coincident with inclina- 
tion and talent, not only facilitate the accomplishment of bu- 
siness, but ensure the execution of it in the best manner. — 
Hence the scriptures, under every dispensation of divine 
grace, speak of masters and servants, and designate the du- 
ties of each order respectively. 

4. Masters are bound to treat their servants not only with 
justice, but also with kindness : to abstain from irritating 
them by a haughty and overbearing demeanor, by reproachful 
and supercilious language, by indicating a peevish and fretful 
disposition toward them, by imposing upon them more than 
they can comfortably accomplish, and by withholding from 
them any portion of their due. " Masters," saith an apostle, 
u give unto your servants that which is just and equal; for- 
bearing threatenings, knowing that your master also is in 
heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him."* 
And St. James exclaims, " Behold, the hire of the labourers 
who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back 

2. Which is the next relation existing in the modification of society ? 

3. What proves this relation to be agreeable to the will of God ? 

4. How should masters treat their servants? 

*Eph.6:9. 



272 



A SYSTEM OF 



by fraud, crieth : and the cries of them which have reaped are 
entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth."* 

5. Masters are under obligations to treat their servants 
with kindness, because such treatment will improve the com- 
fort and conduct of domestics, will increase their number, and 
consequently reduce their wages, will promote the interest, 
convenience, and comfort of masters, and thus contribute to 
the general welfare : for whatever promotes the happiness of 
a necessary portion of the community, promotes the interest 
and comfort of the whole. 

6. On the other hand, it is the duty of servants to be obedient 
and faithful to their masters. " Servants," saith an apostle, 
"be obedient to them that are your masters, according to the 
flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, 
as unto Christ ; not with eye service, as men pleasers ; but 
as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart ; 
with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men : 
knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the 
same shall be received of the Lord, whether he be bond or 
free."f 

m 

7. In the enumeration of domestic duties we have not men- 
tioned the obligation of slaves ; because slavery, in our view, 
is inconsistent with morality. Persons captured in regular 
warfare may be retained in captivity, to prevent them from 
doing farther mischief; and individuals who have forfeited 
their liberty by violating the laws of their country, may be 
kept in prison, or at hard labour ; but even in these cases the 
punishment of the delinquents should be no greater than is 

5. Whence arise the obligations of masters to treat their servants with 
kindness? 

6. What is the duty of servants to their masters? 

7. Have we hitherto mentioned the duty of slaves ? 

* James 5: 4. t Eph. 6:5— 8. 



MORAL PHILOSOrHY. 



273 



consistent with the public good, and their own improvement. 
Slavery, however, in its ordinary acceptation, is utterly un- 
justifiable. Its tendency is wholly bad. It promotes in the 
master haughty and cruel feelings, indolent and dissipated 
habits, and. renders the siave degraded, unhappy, and com- 
paratively useless. It is at war with that great and funda- 
mental principle of good morals, which requires every one to 
contribute to the utmost of his ability to the production of the 
greatest possible amount of human happiness. Whatever 
action conforms to this rule is moral, and whatever action 
does not conform to it is immoral. 

8. The third modification of society is ecclesiastical. This 
involves the various duties of pastors and people, which are 
all comprehended in the zealous and judicious pursuit .of the 
prosperity and welfare of the Christian institution. Every 
human being is under solemn and imperative obligations to 
contribute, according to his ability, to the extension and growth 
of the church of Christ. These obligations arise from the 
dignity of her origin — the cost of her establishment — the gran- 
deur of her designs, and the efficiency of her operations. 

9. The christian church originated not in the wisdom and 
power of human beings, but in the counsel of God. In proof 
of this point we have the most plenary and decisive evidence. 
" Upon this rock," said Jesus Christ to Peter, " I will build 
my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against 
it."* It matters not, in the present instance, what is the 
meaning of the term rock — whether it alludes to the person 
of Jesus Christ; to the merit of his death upon the cross; 
to the faith of the apostle Peter; or to any other circum- 
stance : for be the basis of the church what it may,. Jesus 

8. Which is the next modification of society ? 
• 9, Which is the first reason for supporting the church 9 

* Mat. 16: 18, 



274 



A SYSTEM OF 



Christ is the builder* On this rock, said he, 1 build my 
church. It is also said, that " The Lord added to the church 
daily such as should be saved."* And St. Paul exhorted the 
elders of the church at Ephesus " To feed the church of 
God* which he had purchased witb his own blood. "f 

1. The church having originated, not in the dark ages of 
ignorance and superstition ; not in the learning and prudence 
of human beings ; not in the power of social and civil com- 
pacts; but in the wisdom and goodness of God, she is, on 
this account, entitled to our best regard. Instituted in the 
council of the adorable trinity ; founded upon the rock of 
ages, and impressed with the signet of divine authority, she 
justly claims our vigorous and unceasing efforts to promote 
her welfare. 

2. Nor are her claims, in this respect, less imperative, 
from the cost of her establishment. She was bought, not 
with the gold of Ophir and the cattle upon a thousand hills ; 
not by holocausts of rams and rivers of oil ; not by the trea- 
sures of the world and the flower of the first-born of crea- 
tion — but with the precious blood of Christ. 

3. Nor was this sacrifice the only expenditure in founding 
the church of God. The influence, the talents, and the lives 
of the best men, in all ages, and in all countries, have been 
offered upon the altar of her interest. At the stake, upon 
the scaffold, and upon the rack, the heralds of divine mercy 
have been martyred for the church of Christ. Requisitions 
upon the richest treasures of the universe have been, and 
now are, made for the benefit of our holy Zion. The son of 
God, the ministration of angels, divine providence, and the 
labours and lives of the most illustrious individuals, are all 
devoted to the accomplishment of this object. And surely 

1. What follows from* the above premises? 

2. Which is the second reason for supporting the church? 

3. Was this the only sacrifice made for the church ? 

* Acts 2: 47. t Acts 20: 28. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



275 



that, to which have been devoted, under the approval of divine 
wisdom, the resources of heaven and earth, is entitled to our 
hearty support. 

4. Nor are liberal and affectionate contributions to the 
christian church less reasonable from the grandeur of her 
designs* These are, the promotion of the divine glory, and 
the happiness of human beings. 

5. Previous to the founding of the church of Christ, the 
attributes of God, from the intense brightness of their glory, 
had remained inscrutable to human beings ; but in this event 
they were embodied in the person of the mediator, and ex- 
hibited in mild and attractive radiance. Before the promise 
of Messiah the Deity had shewn himself only as the Creator 
and Preserver of the universe ; but in the fulfilment of the 
promise he came forth, through the medium of his son, and 
unfolded to our lost and guilty race the unbounded riches of 
his grace in the character of a Redeemer. On the annals 
of the church is written in resplendent character*-" God so 
loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that who- 
soever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting 
life." And by the efficacy of this fact millions, in every age, 
have been brought to the worship of the true God, and of 
Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent. 

6. Nor is the church intended to be the instrument merely 
of exhibiting the divine perfections, and thus promoting the 
glory of God ; but also of contributing to the happiness of 
the human race. She is the appointed means of delivering 
us from the curse and degradation of the fall, and of restor- 
ing us to the favour and enjoyment of our Creator. In com- 
munion with the mystical body of Christ, we are assured 
that, from the unbounded riches of divine goodness, we shall 
receive grace to answer grace; that under the purifying in- 

4. Which is the third reason for supporting the church ? 

5. Which is the first design of the church ? ' 

6. Which is the second design of the church ? 



276 



A SYSTEM OF 



fiuence of the holy spirit we shall be transformed from glory 
into glory, till we are fitted for a translation from the church 
on earth to the church in heaven. It is ordained that our 
holy Zion, having accomplished her earthly destinies, shall 
be merged in the church triumphant, and that, around the 
throne of God, she shall partake of the richness of that sal- 
vation, for the dispensation of which she was first founded. 

7. The designs of the church of Christ being the promo- 
tion of the glory of God and the happiness of human beings, 
she ought, surely, to be the object of our affectionate regard. 
The vigorous and lasting sentiment of our hearts should be>, 
" Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I prefer 
not Jerusalem to my chief joy." 

8. Nor will the reasonableness of this feeling be less ap- 
parent from a reference to the efficiency of the church of 
Christ in the promotion of human happiness. She, in all 
respects, is adapted to our circumstances, and is possessed of 
resources^fcmmensurate with our wants. Are we guilty 
and condemned? She refers us to a propitiation for our sins, 
and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world. 
Are we in a state of ignorance and moral blindness? She 
spreads before us the records of wisdom and eternal life; 
and in a regular unbroken succession from the apostles pro- 
vides us with Pauls and Apolloses, with Boanerges and sons 
of consolation for our instruction and improvement. Are 
we unholy and depraved ? She secures to us the influence 
of the holy spirit to sanctify and make us holy. Are we 
fearful and desponding? She provides us with the sacra- 
ments of baptism and the lord's supper, as pledges of pre- 
sent grace and future happiness, if we receive them worthily. 
Are we in a state of sickness, sorrow and disappointment ? 
She declares that every thing shall work together for our 

7. What follows from the above premises? 

8. Which is the fourth reason for supporting the church ? 



MOEAL PHILOSOPHY. 



277 



good if we love God, if we are the called according to his 
purpose. Are we mortal, and destined to the grave? she 
assures us that to die is gain ; that in the presence of God 
there is fulness of joy, and that at his right hand there are 
pleasures forevermore. Do we dread the silence and cor- 
ruption of the tomb? she scatters with a flood of light the 
clouds which hover on the grave, and discloses the certainty 
of our resurrection. Conducting us with safety to the verge 
of time, she draws aside the curtain of mortality, and dis- 
covers to us that glorious inheritance, which is incorruptible, 
and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven 
for those who are faithful unto death. 

9. From the efficiency of the christian church, in the pro- 
motion of human happiness, obligations to contribute to her 
prosperity inevitably follow. 

1. If we are the subjects of true morality, we shall infal- 
libly love the church of God. His worship, his sacraments, 
and all the ordinances of 'his house, will be delightful to our 
minds. Instead of neglecting his public service, or of grudg- 
ing any efforts in our power to promote the interests of our 
holy Zion, or of disturbing her peace by a restless, way- 
ward, and selfish course, we shall be ready at all times to 
sacrifice to her interest. The language of our hearts will 
be — " Pray for the peace of Jerusalem : they shall prosper 
that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity 
within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sake 
I will now say peace be within thee." 

2. The third modification of society is political. 

3. That it is the duty of human beings to enter into civil 

9. What follows from the above premises ? 

1. What will follow from possessing true morality? 

2. Which is the third modification of society ? 

3. How is the institution of civil government proved to be agreeable 
to the will of God? 

24 



278 



A SYSTEM OF 



compacts, and to form laws for their own government, is 
evident alike from reason and revelation. " Judges and offi- 
cers," said God unto his ancient people, " shalt thou make 
thee in all thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, 
throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with 
just judgment."* And St. Paul says, " I exhort, therefore, 
that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and 
giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for 
all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peace- 
able life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good 
and acceptable in the sight of God our saviour."f Nor is 
this duty less indicated by reason than it is by the holy 
scriptures, Tending as the performance of it does to the 
protection of our person and property — to the encourage- 
ment of industry — the improvement of our social and intel- 
lectual nature — and the promotion of the general welfare, it 
must be agreeable to the will of God. 

4. There are three distinct forms of civil government, 
namely, the monarchical, aristocratical, and republican. 

5. A monarchical government is one in which the supreme 
power is lodged in the hands of a single person. The same 
name, however, is sometimes given to a government in which 
the power of the king or supreme magistrate is limited by a 
constitution, or by fundamental laws. Such is the British 
monarchy. 

6. An aristocratical government is one in which the whole 
supreme power is vested in the principal persons of state ; 
or in a few men distinguished for their rank and opulence. 
When the supreme power is exercised by a very small num- 
ber, the government is called an oligarchy.. The latter 

4. How many forms of civil government are there ? 

5. What is a monarchical government ? 

6. What is an aristocratical government ? 



* Deut. 16:18. t 1 Tim. 2 :1— 3. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY » 



279 



word, however, is usually applied to a corrupted form of aris- 
tocracy. 

7. A republican government is one in which the supreme 
power is lodged in the hands of the people collectively, or in 
which the people exercise the powers of legislation by their 
representatives. Such is the government of the United 
States of America. 

8. The advantages of a monarchical government are — 
unity of council — decision — despatch — the preventing, by a 
known rule of succession, all competition for the supreme 
power. The dangers of a monarchy are — tyranny — ex- 
pense — military domination — risk of the character of the 
sovereign — ignorance of the government of the interests of 
the people — and the want of wholesome laws. 

9. The advantages of an aristocracy are — experience — 
education — and weight of character in the governors. The 
dangers of an aristocracy are — dissentions among the rulers 
— oppression of the lower orders of the people by the higher 
order — and partial laws. 

1. The advantages of a republican government are — li- 
berty — equal laws — regulations adapted to the wants of the 
people — public spirit — frugality — averseness to war — stimulus 
to patriotism — the pursuit of information—courtesy, &c. 
The dangers of a republican government are — dissentions — 
tumults — factions — inordinate ambition-— intrigue — delay — 
imbecility — and anarchy. 

2. People are bound to adopt that form of government, 
which, upon the whole, is most likely to produce the greatest 
amount of happiness ; and it is the right of a majority of 
them concerned to decide what that form is. 

7. What is a republican government ? 

8. Which are the advantages and dangers of a monarchy ? 

9. Which are the advantages and dangers of an aristocracy ? 

1. Which are the advantages and dangers of a republican government? 

2. What form of government are we bound to adopt ? 



280 



A SYSTEM OF 



3. Civil government necessarily involves the relation of 
governed and governing. 

4. It is the dut}^ of the governing to make laws, and to 
execute them for the single purpose of promoting the public 
welfare. " He," saith David, " that ruleth over men must 
be just, ruling in the fear of God."* And, saith the Lord, 
" execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the 
spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor : and do no wrong, 
do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, 
neither shed innocent blood in this place."f The faith- 
ful performance of these duties will afford peace to the con- 
science of the rulers — gratify their benevolent feelings — pro- 
mote human happiness — and lead to their advancement by 
conciliating public confidence. 

5. It is the duty of the governed to select the best quali- 
fied men for their public functionaries, to render them due 
respect while in the performance of their duty, and to reward 
them liberally for their services. " Let," saith an apostle, 
" every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there 
is no power but of God : the powers that be are ordained of 
God. Whosoever, therefore, resisteth the power, resisteth 
the ordinance of God : and they that resist shall receive to 
themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good 
works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the 
power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of 
the same : For he is the minister of God to thee for good. 
But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid ; for he beareth 
not the sword in vain : for he is the minister of God, a re- 
venger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Where- 
fore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for 
conscience' sake. For, for this cause pay ye tribute also : for 

3. What does civil government necessarily involve ? 

4. What is the duty of the governing ? 

5. What is the duty of the governed ? 

* 2 Sam. 23: 3. t Jer. 22:3. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



281 



they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this 
very thing. Render, therefore, to all their dues : tribute 
to whom tribute is due ; custom to whom custom ; fear to 
whom fear ; honour to whom honour.' 5 * And a compli- 
ance with the divine requirements in this instance, as well as 
in every other, will contribute to our immediate advantage. 
It will insure a wholesome administration of government ; 
peace and quietude among the people, and consequently the 
prosperity of the commonwealth. 

6. The maintenance of civil government requires the 
enactment of laws : because harmony is essential to the pub- 
lic welfare, and, owing to the ignorance and selfishness of 
man, there can be no harmony without laws : and many of 
the forms of government, and the duties which they impose, 
being necessarily adventitious, they require enactments to 
explain them. 

7. Laws, as they exist in most countries, are two-fold, — 
common law and statute law. Common law consists of cus- 
tom, or the adjudications of authorized tribunals ; and sta- 
tute law, or the enactments of legislatures. 

8. All law is, or ought to be, founded on justice and. equal 
rights. 

9. "Rights," says archdeacon Paley, " are either natural 
or adventitious ; alienable or unalienable ; perfect or imper- 
fect." 

1. Natural rights are those rights which 'we possess by 
nature: as the air we breathe, the fruit we raise, and the 
produce of our own labour. 

2. Adventitious rights are those rights which arise (rum 

6. What does the maintenance of civil government require ' 1 

7. What is the ordinary division of the laws ? 

8. What should all law be founded on? 

9. How are rights classified ? 
1. What are natural rights'? 

l 2. What are adventitious rights ? 

* Rom. 13 : 1—1. 
24* 



282 



A SYSTEM OF 



adventitious circumstances : as one man has a right to the 
labour of another, because he has paid for it ; and a woman 
has a right to the protection of her husband, because he has 
engaged to protect her. 

•3. Alienable rights are those rights which may be bought 
and sold ; as rights to lands and tenements. 

4. Unalienable rights are those rights which cannot be 
bought and sold ; as entailed estates, and one's own liberty 
and life. 

5. Perfect rights are those rights which may be enforced 
by human laws ; as the right to property, protection from as^ 
sault, &c. 

6. Imperfect rights are those rights which are enforced 
by the law of God, but cannot be enforced by human laws ; 
as gratitude for favours, obedience to parents, good inten- 
tions, &c. 

7. The laws of the land, whether they be founded in rea- 
son, in scripture, in the exigencies of individuals, or in any 
other circumstance, if they be not in contravention to the 
constitution, or the public welfare, ought to be obeyed. The 
observance of these laws being necessary to the maintenance 
of civil government, and the maintenance of civil govern- 
ment being necessary to the public welfare, and the public- 
welfare being consistent with the will of God, and the will 
of God being the source of obligation, the observance of 
these laws must be obligatory. 

3. What are alienable rights ? 

4. What are unalienable rights ? 

5. What are perfect rights ? 

6. What are imperfect rights? 

7. How is it shewn that we should obey the laws of the land? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



283 



CHAPTER III. 

Of the duties which we owe to ourselves. 

1. We are bound by the constitution of our nature, and 
by that of the universe, to act in such a manner as will, upon 
the whole, secure to ourselves, and to all with whom we are 
connected, the greatest possible amount of happiness. From 
this source arise all the duties which we owe to ourselves. 

2. But to attain the highest possible amount of happiness 
we must acquire the greatest possible improvement. All the 
faculties of our nature must be approximated, by proper disci- 
pline, to the highest point of excellence of which they are 
susceptible. God, in their organization, has ordained that 
our enjoyments shall be exactly commensurate with the ex- 
cellence of our acquirements. Precisely in proportion to the 
perfection of our moral principle, and its salutary control 
over our physical and intellectual powers, will be our hap- 
piness in this life, and in that which is to come. 

3. That it is incumbent on us, by every means in our 
power, to seek the improvement of our physical functions is 
evident from the slightest reflection. The sound and vigorous 
operation of our bodily faculties, the full enjoyment of health, 
and the manly and graceful performance of the several parts 
assigned us by divine providence, evidently contribute alike 
to our own happiness and to that of our fellow creatures. 
The supposition, which not unfrequently obtains, that the 
training of our bodily faculties to a healthy and graceful 
operation is unworthy of our attention, is not only not true, 
but highly mischievous. Such is the connexion of mind and 
body, that if the vigour and gracefulness of the latter are ne- 
glected, the interests of the former will proportionably suf- 

1. What is the rule of the duties we owe to ourselves? 

2. What results from this rule ? 

3. Are we bound to improve our physical nature? 



284 



A SYSTEM OF 



fer. To young people a due attention to gymnastics, callis- 
thenics, and the exercises of the toilet are indispensable. If 
a diamond of the first water be worthy of the labours of the 
lapidary to bring it to a state of brilliancy and perfection, the 
budy, which is infinitely more valuable, must be entitled to 
our best efforts to improve it. 

4. In a still greater degree, however, the culture of the 
intellectual faculties claim our attention. 

5. Our future and eternal destiny, depending upon the 
character of our present pursuits, these pursuits should com- 
prehend, in degree at least, the highest order of excellence^ 
Situation contributes much less to respectability, than power 
and disposition to adorn it. It is excellence — distinguished 
excellence in our avocations, whatever those avocations may 
be, that will secure to us the approval of our judge, and the 
regard of our fellow men. Inferior, or even ordinary attain- 
ments, ought not, by any means, to be the summit of our 
wishes ; but fixing our eyes upon a lofty mark, we should pur- 
sue it with our whole strength. 

6. To insure success in this course, application is indis- 
pensable. The delusive hope that genius, or any other cir- 
cumstance, however propitious in its general tendencies, can 
supply the place of industry, ought not for a single moment 
to.be cherished. It is labour, incessant labour only, that can 
result in the accomplishment of our wishes. Were we in 
possession of the brightest and strongest intellect ever pos- 
sessed by a human being, we should ultimately become the 
victims of disappointment were we reckless of its improve- 
ment. A slothful youth, whatever may be his expectation 
from his parents, is destined to a lowery morning, a cloudy 
noon, and a stormy night. Without entering into a critical 
analysis of mind, it will not be difficult to shew that genius 

4. Are we bound to improve our intellectual nature ? 

5. At what degree of improvement should we aim? 

6. Is application essential to improvement? 



MORAL PHILOSOPkY. 



285 



and a sound judgment are not inseparably connected. Quick 
perception, and a lively sensibility, are the basis of genius ; 
but a sound judgment is produced only by mental discipline. 
The individual who, under favourable circumstances, thinks 
most, will generally possess the soundest discrimination. 
Genius without judgment is like a bark tossed upon the bosom 
of an ocean, without rudder, and without ballast. It may 
excite the admiration of the ignorant for a short period, but 
it will ultimately perish in difficulties of its own forming. 
The career of the most splendid mind, unimproved by ap- 
plication, has always terminated unhappily. It is labour — ■ 
ardent and unceasing labour only — that will secure to any 
individual intellectual distinction, and prosperity in his call- 
ing. Knowledge, at least that of the useful kind, dwells upon 
the summit of a lofty hill, and it is impossible to ascend thither 
without effort. This it is that 

" Plucks bright honours from the pale-fac'd moon, 
Or dives into the bottom of the deep, 
Where fathom line could never touch the ground, 
And drags up drowned honours by the locks." 

7. But to render application successful, much self denial 
is indispensable. The road to learning is not the primrose 
path of pleasure. A dalliance in this flowery way will in- 
evitably weaken our mental vigour, and render abortive our 
most, strenuous efforts. In the successful pursuit of knowl- 
edge, an intellectual sternness, an abstraction from the soft 
and bewitching enjoyments of sense, are absolutely neces- 
sary. The effects of sensual blandishments upon a tender 
mind, as described by an eminent master of human nature, 
ought forever to deter us from yielding to their influence. 
" I discerned," saith Solomon, " a young man void of un- 
derstanding. He passed through the street, near the dwell- 
ing of a woman of a subtile heart. He went after her, 

7. Is self denial necessary to intellectual improvement? 



286 



\ SYSTEM OF 



straight as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the 
correction of the stocks, till a dart strike through his liver; 
and as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not it is for 
his life." 

8. Self denial, accompanied with the most assiduous ap- 
plication, will, however, be unavailing without system. This, 
in the pursuit of distant and retiring objects,, is essential to 
success* The individual who is controlled by impulse and 
accident may engage in self improvement, but in it he will 
not succeed. He will commence, remit, and resume his ef- 
forts, but his object will not be accomplished. To ensure 
favourable results, nothing should be left to accident, but 
every thing should be done at the proper time, and in the 
proper manner. System in our mental arrangements is all 
important to success. The individual who possesses this, 
even in the absence of great acquirements, will, under the 
•ordinary blessings of divine providence, seldom be disap- 
pointed. 

9. To system must be added perseverance. " Persever- 
ance overcometh all things," is a maxim which, with some 
modification, has been corroborated by the experience of all 
ages. An individual, we are told, who had long been un- 
successful in every enterprise, at length abandoned himself 
to inactivity and despair. Happening, however, while in 
this condition, to witness the unsuccessful efforts of an ant 
in raising his provision to the summit of his little cell, he re- 
solved to await the result of his perseverance; and after 
counting upwards of a hundred failures, had the satisfaction 
of seeing him successful. This inspired the spectator with 
a resolution to try, in his own case, the effects of persever- 
ance ; and he did try it, with entire satisfaction. Nor is 
there an individual any where who may not, under the or- 
dinary blessings of divine providence, succeed in some use- 

8. Is system necessary to self improvement? 

9. What should we add to system ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



287 



ful, if not brilliant, acquirement. The prize of usefulness 
and fame is not reserved merely for men of genius and easy 
circumstances, but chiefly for the persevering. The active, 
in defiance of allurements to ease; the intrepid, in spite of 
dangers and disasters; and the sanguine, notwithstanding 
repeated disappointments, will always move onward in the 
path of glory, and ultimately be rewarded with success.* 

1. To these things, in the improvement of our intellect, 
we should add a judicious selection of topics for examination 
— a habit of steady and continuous attention to the subjects 
of investigation — of not relinquishing the process of exami- 
nation until we understand the subject of it in all its ele- 
ments and relations — of classifying the objects of our no- 
tice with great care and minuteness — and of intensely exer- 
cising our judgment in analysing, combining, and comparing 
the matters of our scrutiny. 

2. Above all, however, we should aim at the improvement 
of our moral powers. " Keep thy heart," saith Solomon, 
" with all diligence ; for out of it are the issues of life."f 

3. Keeping the heart, in the language of the holy scrip- 
tures, implies a rigid and impartial scrutiny of its character 
— a prompt and faithfuf guarding of it from every evil — and 
a rigorous reduction of it, in all its operations, to the will of 
God. 

4. So intricate and deceptious is the human heart, that it 
is only by the strictest scrutiny we can ascertain its char- 
acter. Inspiration declares it is deceitful above all things, 
and desperately wicked, and that without divine assistance it 
is impossible to know it. We hazard nothing in the asser- 
tion that every human being is more or less ignorant of his 

1. What else is necessary to improve the intellect? 

2. Are we bound to improve our moral nature? 

3. What is implied in keeping the heart? 

4. What is the first thing- implied in keeping the heart? 

* See Sermon on Education, by the author. t Prov. 4:23. 



288 



A SYSTEM OF 



own heart. That which is often taken for religious serious- 
ness is induced only by disappointment; our liberality in 
almsgiving is not unfrequently excited by the love of praise ; 
our activity in projects of benevolence by the hope of gain; 
our zeal in promoting the prosperity of the church by feel- 
ings of sectarianism ; our attendance on public worship by 
the custom of the country in which we live; and our aliena- 
tion from the world by misanthropy and distrust. So insi- 
dious and deceiving .are the feelings of the human heart, that 
they can be detected only by an anxious, persevering, and 
thorough analysis of its motives. Hence saith an apostle, 
" Examine yourselves, prove your own selves. Know ye not 
your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye 
be reprobates ?"* 

5. But a knowledge of the heart simply is not sufficient ; 
we must anxiously guard it against every evil — must, like 
faithful sentinels, be ever on the watch, not permitting even 
the shadow of an enemy to approach unseen. "What I 
say unto you," said Jesus Christ, " I say unto all, watch. "f 
It is only this wakeful and faithful vigilance ; this anxious 
and trembling solicitude to preserve ourselves unspotted from 
the world, that will protect us from the greatest evil. That 
temerity which loiters upon the verge of innocence, will ulti- 
mately land upon the territory of crime. He that walks in 
the counsel of the ungodly, and stands in the way of sinners, 
will finally set down in the seat of the scornful.:): 

6. But even this is not sufficient; we must reduce our 
whole heart, in all its operations, to the will of God. The 
appetites, emotions, and passions must all be directed to 
proper objects, and the intensity of their operations graduated 
by the value of those objects. The excited and conflicting 

5. What is the second thing implied in keeping the heart ? 

6. What is the third thing implied in keeping the heart? 



* 2 Cor. 13:5. t Mark 13 : 37. t Ps. 1 : 1. 

• 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



289 



elements of the mind must all be reduced to harmony, and 
restrained by the dictates of reason and revelation. The 
glorious gospel of the blessed God, exerting over our moral 
faculties its salutary power, must cast down the imagina- 
tions, and every high thing which exalteth itself against the 
knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought 
to the obedience of Christ.* 

7. This rigorous and impartial scrutiny; this solicitous 
guarding against the approach of evil ; this wakeful and un- 
remitting control of our moral faculties, are all comprehended 
in the government of the heart. Indeed the whole system of 
practical duties is not unfrequently represented by the in- 
spired writers as being included in this duty. " Cleanse 
first," saith Jesus Christ, " that which is within the cup and 
platter, that the outside of them may be clean also ;"f and 
he pronounced a heavy curse upon the scribes and pharisees 
for pursuing a different course. 

8. This duty of keeping the heart, according to the wise 
man, is to be performed with all " diligence" And the di- 
rection is in perfect accordance with reason and revelation. 
Every passage of holy scripture, descriptive of self-govern- 
ment, represents it as being exceedingly difficult to perform. 
" Strive," says Jesus Christ, u to enter into the straight gate : 
for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall 
not be able." And saith an apostle, " Fight the good fight 
of faith, that ye may lay hold of eternal life." To extermi- 
nate the old man — to reduce the appetites, affections, and 
passions to the law of God — to resist successfully the sugges- 
tions of the wicked one — and to exercise over our entire na- . 
ture a vigorous and wholesome discipline, is a work requir- 
ing the utmost diligence. 

7. Are all these things necessary to the government of the heart? 

8. How is this self government to be performed? 



* 2 Cor. 10:5. t Mat. 23:26. 

25 



290 



A SYSTEM OF 



9. Nor is this fact less evident from the circumstances 
under which we are placed. The world sometimes appears 
to us in bright and attractive forms, and at other times in 
dark and repulsive aspects. What it cannot accomplish by 
allurement and artifice, it attempts by open menace and hos- 
tility. So repugnant is the world to the interests of true reli- 
gion, that Christ says, " Ye cannot serve God and mammon ;" 
and St. John assures us, that " if we love the world, the love 
of the Father is not in us." And while the things which are 
in the world naturally tend to alienate our affections from 
their proper objects, the people who are of the world contri- 
bute to the same result. Their tastes, their maxims, and 
their examples, are all hostile to the spirit of the cross. 
Hence saith an apostle, " Be not conformed to this world : 
but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that 
ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect 
will of God."* 

1. To traverse the dark and threadless mazes of the heart; 
to strip it of its insidious and seductive guise ; to detect the 
character of its hidden and complicated motives ; to bring to 
gospel light the interior and secret movements of the soul, 
require efforts of no ordinary kind. " Ye know riot," said 
the redeemer to his disciples, " what manner of spirit ye are 
of." Although they had been instructed by his own lips, 
and had, in some measure, imbibed his own spirit, they were 
still, in a high degree, ignorant of their own hearts. And 
the same remark is of general application. The wrong esti- 
mate we form of our own character ; our inclination to con- 
demn in others that of which we are ourselves guilty ; and 
the almost transparent deceptions we daily practice upon our 
own conscience, incontrovertibly prove that we are strangers 

9. How does the necessity of diligence farther appear? 
1. What other considerations shew the importance of diligence in 
self government? 

* Rom. 12:2. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



291 



at home. " Know thyself," is a precept of such importance, 
that its origin, even in the heathen world, has been attributed 
to inspiration. The attainment of that knowledge which 
frees us from the dominion of the passions, and exercises 
over us a salutary control, requires greater diligence than 
the acquirement of every other science besides. " He who 
ruleth his own spirit is greater than he who taketh a city." 

2. It is true, that in the constitution of different individuals 
there is a great variety of temperament; and in some there 
is naturally more amiability than there is in others ; but in 
every one there are tendencies to evil of some sort or other; 
and the subjugation of those tendencies is with great difficulty 
accomplished. We all have a full portion of infirmity ; and 
the proper management of that infirmity, under exciting cir- 
cumstances, demands unceasing diligence. Often have we 
resolved so to guard against our besetting sins as effectually 
to resist their influence, but before we were aware of danger, 
the enemy, like a mountain torrent, had swept from us our 
resolutions. Innocence, virtue, and self government, were 
all destroyed in a single moment, and we left, in the language 
of St. Paul, to exclaim, " O wretched man that I am, who 
shall deliver me from this body of death?" 

3. In consonance with these reasons for diligence in the 
establishment of self government is that variety of means 
which is prescribed for its attainment. Reading the holy 
scriptures, hearing the gospel preached, receiving the holy 
sacraments, watchfulness, prayer, and the whole system of 
christian duties, are prescribed for our use in the pursuit of 
this acquirement. Had God designed that the government 
of our heart should be obtained without effort, the use of so 
many means would not have been reqnired. The institution 
of these means, and the requirement to use them, therefore, 

2. What else is said to shew the importance of diligence ? 

3. What farther consideration shews the importance of diligence in 
self government ? 



292 



A SYSTEM OF 



prove the necessity of diligence. It is not the possession of 
inoperative wishes, the folding of our hands, and saying, a 
little more sleep, a little more slumber, nor even intermittent 
and irregular efforts, that will secure to us the government 
of the heart, but only patient, solicitous, and persevering 
efforts. 

4. That the feelings and dispositions of the heart have an 
intimate and universal influence upon our temporal and 
eternal interests, no one will deny. They affect alike our 
reputation, our individual enjoyment, and the general in- 
terest. 

5. He who, amid the adversities and tumults of life, main- 
tains the government of his heart, stands pre-eminently re- 
spected among his fellows. The even tenor of his mind, in 
defiance of the trials through which he passes, throws around 
him a sublimity and glory which the pomp and circumstance 
of power can never equal. Fresh and fadeless as the laurels 
are which are twined around the brow of him who conducts 
his warriors to triumph and to glory, the individual who 
conquers his own heart, and sways the sceptre of reason 
over his own feelings, is, in the view of God and man, in- 
finitely more honourable. Neither wealth, nor power, nor 
any of the adventitious distinctions of human beings, can, 
under any circumstances, secure to our reputation, even in 
the view of mortals, that bright and enduring lustre which 
results from the government of the heart. Be our artificial 
distinctions what they may, our moral qualities will be the 
criterion by which we shall be estimated. No one can more 
effectually degrade himself than to yield, without resistance, 
to his appetites and passions. Surrendering as he does the 
dignity of human nature, he descends to a level with the 
beasts that perish. It is the purity and harmony of the inner 

4. Has the character of the heart any influence on our temporal and 
eternal interests ? 

5. Does self government add to our respectability ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 

man, and not the vapourings of adventitious and affected 
dignity, that constitute real and enduring glory. 

6. Nor can it be denied that the feelings and dispositions 
of the heart are the elements of happiness or misery. Lan- ' 
guage cannot describe the agony and bitterness of mind 
which result from the want of self government. Envy 
pining at the prosperity of others — malice forming its mazy 
plans for the ruin of its hated objects — anger like the fire 
of a burning mountain, feeding upon its own substance — 
pride irritated and mortified in not receiving its demanded 
homage — ambition in its restless efforts pulling down dis- 
grace upon its own head — and avarice, seeking, obtaining, 
and never being satisfied, constitute the very essence and 
prelude of hell. But in governing the heart with all dili- 
gence, we realize that the work of righteousness is peace, and 
that the effect of righteousness is quietness and assurance 
lorever; — that all the weapons of our enemies fall harmless 
at our feet, because we are armed with the panoply of God. 

7. Were the heart, in every instance, governed as it ought 
to be, a new and glorious era would dawn upon the world. 
The wolf would dwell with the lamb, and the leopard lie 
down with the kid ; the calf, and the young lion, and the fat- 
ling together, and a little child would lead them, and all 
would be peace, and harmony, and happiness. 

8. On the proper maintenance of self government the ac- 
ceptableness of our whole conduct depends. The motives, 
feelings, and movements of the heart constitute, in the sight 
of God, our moral character. For internal obliquity no ex- 
ternal performance can atone. It is the pure heart, the soul 
regulated in its perceptions, affections, and volitions, by the 
gospel of Jesus Christ, that render acceptable in the sight of 

6. Are the feelings and dispositions of the heart the elements of hap- 
piness or misery ? 

7. What would be the effect of self government were it universal? 

8. What depends on self government? 

25* 



294 



A SYSTEM OF 



God our outward conduct. In the day of final judgment the 
enquiry will not be, what professions we had made, nor 
what name we had borne, but what purity of heart we had 
acquired, and what measure of the divine nature we had 
possessed ; and on the answer to these questions will hang 
our eternal destiny. 

9. To every one who is in the habit of reflecting upon the 
effects of self government it is evident that it contributes to 
our health. The great secret of acquiring and perpetuating 
the enjoyment of this blessing is moderation. The indivi- 
dual who abstains from self indulgence does more, by this 
means, to repair a dilapidated constitution, or to add vigour 
to one that is already robust, and to prolong his days, ex- 
empt from decrepitude and sickness, than all the medicines 
in the world can accomplish. It has been often remarked, by 
those who are the best qualified to form a correct opinion upon 
the subject, that intemperance has been more destructive of 
human life than war and pestilence united: and so far as our 
own observation has extended, it justifies the remark. The 
excessive use of meats and drinks not only impairs the di- 
gestive organs, produces a derangement of the nervous 
system, and lays the foundation of biliary and paralytic com- 
plaints, but often results in premature death. So rapid is 
the decay of the health and constitution of the intemperate, 
that their speedy dissolution is looked for as a matter of 
course. The pale or empurpled countenance, the weeping 
and inflamed eye, the tremulous and decrepit limbs, the 
sombre and depressed spirits, and the various ailments which 
follow in the train of excessive indulgence, proclaim, in lan- 
guage not to be controverted, its unfriendliness to the func- 
tions of the human system. Were it. possible, under existing 
circumstances, to doubt the correctness of this position, even 
skepticism would no longer resist the demonstration of its 

9. Does self government contribute to health? 

i 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



295 



accuracy, could we open the sepulchres of the dead, and 
there disclose, in their true colours, the ravages of intem- 
perance ! 

1. Nor is the government of our hearts less friendly to 
the formation of industrious habits than to a sound and 
healthy constitution. He who eats and drinks merely to 
support nature, and not to pamper her appetites and passions, 
will seldom fail to be industrious. The vigour and elasticity 
of his spirits will induce habits honourable to himself and 
beneficial to mankind. Who, we ask, are the men of enter- 
prize? who contribute to the improvement of their neigh- 
bourhood and their country] Who foster and extend the 
sciences and the arts ? The answer is, the temperate. They 
only are the individuals of active and daring enterprize; the 
persons who encounter perils, subdue the elements, strike 
out large and comprehensive plans of amelioration, and make 
the wilderness and solitary places glad, and the deserts to re- 
joice and blossom as the rose. 

2. Individuals who become intemperate instantly cease to 
be industrious. Every thing with which they are surrounded 
suffers from inattention. Their farm is left uncultivated, 
their counting house is forsaken, the interest of their family 
is neglected, and all their intellectual, moral, and physical 
concerns bear the aspects of neglect and desolation. u I went 
by the field of the slothful," says the wise man, " and by the 
vineyard of the man void of understanding; and lo! it was 
all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face 
thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then 
I saw and considered it well; I looked upon it and received 
instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding 
of the hands to sleep ; so shall thy poverty come as one that 
travelleth, and thy waiit as an armed man.' 5 

1. Is self government friendly to industry ? 

2. What is the effect of intemperance in regard to industry ? 



296 



A SYSTEM OF 



3. Nor is intemperance less hostile to economy than it is 
to industry. The virtues are all social in their nature; and 
where one flourishes the others will not languish. But be- 
tween temperance and economy there is a special connexion. 
We perceive, accordingly, in almost every instance, in the 
concerns of him who is temperate in all things, decency, 
order, and economy, while the reverse of this is the fact in 
reference to the intemperate. Nearly all the calamities which 
bear upon our wretched race result from the indulgence of 
the passions and appetites. Houses of correction, prisons, 
tribunals for adjusting litigation, and all the institutions in 
aid of public morals, bear testimony to the truth of this as- 
sertion. In the black and revolting calendar of human crimes, 
intemperance stands out with peculiar prominence, as the pa- 
rent of improvidence and misery. Nothing is more common 
than to see the opulent and happy reduced by the intemperate 
indulgence of their appetites to extreme want and misery. 
One instance, out of ten thousand which might be given, 
must suffice to illustrate the evil consequences of yielding to 
the propensities of our fallen nature. An individual who 
was in the possession of great wealth, of shining talents, and 
of high respectability, seemed to perfect his earthly happi- 
ness by a union with one who was in all respects worthy of 
his heart. All radiant with smiles and beauty, she gave her 
hand to him who promised in his character and circumstances 
to be all that she desired. In a large and brilliant circle 
there was not a single heart that did not anticipate the most 
happy results from this seemingly auspicious union. But 
they were disappointed. The object and centre of their 
hopes became intemperate; and ere the lapse of many years, 
from a state of affluence, he was reduced to abject poverty. 
The wife, the ornament of human nature, and her children, 
helpless, young, and full of promise, were plunged into hope- 

3. Is intemperance hostile to economy ? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



297 



less misery ; and after enduring unutterable anguish for many 
years, were doomed to witness, in the wretched author of their 
sufferings,' a forfeiture of his guilty life to the violated laws 
of his country. In this catastrophe, who can imagine the 
sufferings of a devoted wife; the agony and degradation of 
impoverished children; the remorse and self-reproach of the 
unhappy culprit; and the disappointment of his friends and 
the whole community ? Yet this, and more than this, was 
accomplished by the intemperate indulgence of the appetites. 

4. Nor is this practice less hostile to the intellect than it 
is to industry and economy. Its influence upon the mental 
functions is absolutely destructive. He that would have a 
clear perception, a sound judgment, and a rich imagination, 
must be temperate in all things. The inordinate use of strong 
drink, even in the limited circle of our own acquaintance, 
has, in numerous instances, destroyed the most splendid in- 
tellect, and reduced to weakness and inanity minds of the 
most towering greatness. The sad results of intemperance, 
in reference to an individual with whom we had long been 
acquainted, we shall never cease to lament. With a per- 
spicacity that seemed to penetrate at once the abstruseness 
of every science, a mental energy that managed, without an 
effort, the whole system of ratiocination, a fancy that like a 
rainbow shed upon every subject of his discussion the whole 
variety of embellishments, and a taste cultivated to the high- 
est degree of refinement, he stood alike in the senate, at the 
bar, and in the drawing room, pre-eminent among the great- 
est. But alas! this ornament of human nature; this giant 
of intellect ; this resplendent meteor of the moral world, 
lost, in a short period, all of which he had once boasted. In 
becoming intemperate, he fell from the high and commanding 
position he had once occupied, to the level of a brute. He 
became an object, loathing to the taste, and rending to the 

4. I3 intemperance injurious to the intellect ? 



298 



A SYSTEM OF 



heart; a wreck of his former greatness, and a monument of 
his past foily. 

5. And while intemperance is destructive to the intellect, 
it is equally injurious to the passions. It gives to them a 
rapid and factitious growth, pregnant with the greatest mis- 
chief'. Operating on the temper, through the medium of the 
organic functions, it becomes physically and permanently 
disordered. The most lovely and attractive dispositions, in 
consequence of the stimulus of ardent spirits, and the long 
and complicated train of maladies which that stimulus pro- 
duces, become intolerably perverted. In this respect, intem- 
perance not unfrequently operates a total revolution ; making 
the most lovely and best of individuals the worst. The ten- 
derest ligaments of the social circle, the dearest connexions 
of domestic life, and the loveliest feelings of human nature, 
are all ruined by the passions which are excited by intem- 
perance. Under the government of these passions the father 
is not unfrequently arrayed against the son, the husband 
against the wife, and the companion against his friend. Those 
who would otherwise live together in harmony, are often, in 
consequence of intemperance, involved in all the horrors of 
confusion worse confused. The destructive influence of this 
indulgence seems, in the course of a few months, to work 
miracles. Individuals who had long lived a moral and ex- 
emplary life, before they are aware of danger, become the 
victims of the most disgusting passions. Irritability, lasciv- 
iousness, the love of gaming, and all the mean and disgust- 
ing passions which agitate the human bosom, not only exist, 
but grow with rankness in their polluted souls. They are 
filled with all manner of uncleanness ; with almost every 
thing which degrades, and stamps with brutality their fallen 
nature. In the emphatic language of holy writ, " their 
whole head is sick and their whole heart faint." 



5. Is intemperance injurious to the passions? 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



299 



6. The frightful and terrific ruins of intemperance are im- 
pressed not only upon the broad wastes of time, but upon 
the enduring ages of eternity. In every direction we behold 
the wreck of talents, of extensive fortunes, of reputation, of 
domestic happiness, of individual enjoyment, and of what is 
infinitely more terrible, the prelude to everlasting ruin. Here 
we behold broken-hearted mothers, distressed and forsaken 
children, beggared and deserted wives, inflamed and aggra- 
vated maladies, yawning and devouring graves — and there, 
just beyond the brink of time, we see the lake which burns 
with fire and brimstone, the gnawing worm that never dies, 
and the consuming wrath which is destined to rage forever, 
connected with the intemperate. 

7. In the view of these things, every individual ought to 
be disposed to contribute by his example, his influence, and 
every means in his power, to the suppression of intemper- 
ance. Respecting the propriety of this measure there can- 
not be a dissenting voice. All who regard their own inter- 
est, the welfare of their fellow creatures, and the prosperity 
of their country — who are solicitous to cherish the influence 
of true religion in the present life, and to enjoy its benefits in 
that which is to come, must be anxious to arrest the progress 
of that evil, which, but a few years since, threatened not only 
the prosperity of our beloved country, but likewise that of 
the world. Such was the prevalence of this evil, that the 
patriot, the philanthropist, and the christian, became alarmed 
at the prospects which lay before ; and rising in simultaneous 
effort to arrest its progress, have, under the blessings of di- 
vine providence, effected in the public sentiment a revolution 
infinitely more conducive to the public welfare than the most 
brilliant military achievements could have been. In the long 
and splendid list of recent enterprises, scarcely any one is 
more contributive to the general welfare, than the conception, 

6. Do the bad effects of intemperance extend to another world ? 

7. What results from a view of these things ? 



300 



A SYSTEM OF 



development, and prosecution of the plan for promoting tem- 
perance, by enlisting the public sentiment in its favour. 

8. But the government of the heart, in the full sense of 
that expression, signifies not only a restrained and moderate 
indulgence of the appetites and passions, but a cultivated 
avidity for heavenly things ; an ardent and ceaseless hun- 
gering and thirsting for righteousness. It comprehends not 
only the crucifying of the old man, and the lusts thereof, but 
also the putting on of the new man, which is renewed in right- 
eousness and true holiness; the setting our affections on 
things above, and not upon things below ; or in other words, 
the feelings of David which prompted the exclamation, 
" Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon 
earth that I desire beside thee."* 

9. Strictly speaking, the selection of God for our portion 
comprehends the whole of the duties which we owe to our- 
selves. This portion is alike congenial with our nature, 
and commensurate with our capacities. Surviving the vicis- 
situdes of life, it will defy the mouldering touch of time, be- 
hold, unaltered, the last throb of expiring nature, and re- 
main through eternal ages undiminished and immutable. 
Our enjoyments are now limited and transitory : they pass 
away as the morning cloud and as the early dew. During 
the brief period of our present life, what losses have we sus- 
tained ! what desolations have we experienced ! Acquaint- 
ances fresh and blooming as the early rose have descended 
to the land of silence; our children, once laden with the 
richest promise, are now sleeping in the dust; and friends 
still dearer to our hearts are numbered with the dead ! O 
time ! thou spoiler of human happiness, how hast thou 
ravaged our possessions ! Truly have we realized with the 

8. Does the government of the heart imply an avidity for heaTenly 
things ? 

9. What, strictly speaking, does the government of the heart imply ? 

* Ps. 73:25. 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



301 



prophet that all flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof 
is as the flower of the field : the grass withereth, and the 
flower thereof fadeth away ; and God alone remaineth with- 
out change. To his existence there are no limits. When time 
shall have run his protracted course; when the brightest stars 
of heaven shall have sunk beneath the horizon of eternity ; 
and the youngest heirs of immortality have grown grey with 
age, the christian's portion will exist, to cheer, and bless, and 
make him happy. In the enjoyment of this good, ages may 
roll away, worlds may be blotted from existence, new crea- 
tions take place, and the farthest point of duration to which 
human thought has yet extended, arrive, and pass away, and 
the true believer will have reached only the first stages of his 
progressive and interminable happiness. Let, then, the aspi- 
rations of our hearts be, " Whom have I in heaven but thee? 
and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee." 

CONCLUSION. 

To the duties exhibited in the preceding pages but few, 
who believe in the divine inspiration of the scriptures, are 
much inclined to object; but unfortunately the greater por- 
tion of them are disposed to postpone their performance to a 
future period. When pressed to enter upon the path of duty, 
their language, practically, is, " Go thy way for this time ; 
when I have a convenient season I will call for thee." But 
this conduct is infinitely absurd and dangerous. 

It is absurd, because it supposes that our secular concerns 
have a prior claim to our attention — that some future period 
will be more convenient to perform our duty than the present 
— that we have a right to postpone the commencement of the 
divine service to any period we please — and that there is 
more happiness to be derived from the world than there is 
from God. 

What can be more absurd than a belief that our secular 
26 



302 



A SYSTE3I OF 



concerns have a prior claim to our attention ? God not only 
is the first, but the best of beings. Before the foundations 
of the earth were laid, or the morning stars sang together 
for joy, he was transcendent and incomparable excellence. 
Whatsoever things are glorious; whatsoever things are 
lovely ; and whatsoever things are of good report, infinitely 
centre in him ; — and from these perfections, as well as from 
other considerations, result an unalienable claim to our first 
and best attention. 

Nor is his language less imperative than his rights. " Seek 
ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness," saith 
he, " and all these things shall be added." The current of 
inspiration shews that he is a jealous God; that he will not 
give his glory to another ; that as he is supreme in excel- 
lence, he will be supreme in honour. Hence we are com- 
manded to honour the Lord with our substance, and with the 
first fruits of all our increase. 

Nor is the service of the divine Being entitled to our first 
attention, simply, on account of his intrinsic excellence and 
demands, but also on account of its own importance. In the 
termination of our present existence, we shall enter upon a 
state of being that will never end. Long after we shall have 
quitted this stage of action, and our temporal concerns are 
numbered forever among the things that were, we shall be the 
subjects of ineffable happiness or misery. When the sun 
shall have burned out his splendours, and the luminaries of 
heaven sent forth their last twinkling ray, we shall still be 
approximating the source of unutterable delight, or plunging 
deeper and yet deeper into the abyss of hell. " These," re- 
ferring to the wicked, said Jesus Christ, " shall go away 
into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life 
eternal" To give, then, our first attention to our temporal 
concerns is an absurdity nothing short of madness. It is to 
let go the substance to catch the shadow ; to grasp a bubble 
and lose a kingdom ; to secure a momentary gratification at 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 303 

the expense of everlasting happiness. Much as we are now 
delighted with the vanity of earthly things, we shall not fail 
to discover, in the hour of our dissolution, when the light of 
the eternal world enables us to estimate them as we ought, 
that, in comparison with true religion, they are nothing, and 
less than nothing. 

The supposition that the divine service will be more con- 
venient at a future period than it now is, if possible, is still 
more absurd than the one we have just noticed. In what, 
we ask, does this service consist ? Is it not in doing, under 
existing circumstances, what we ought to do ? And can there, 
in the nature of things, be a period in which we can do this 
more conveniently than at present 1 

We are all sensible, in the knowledge of our own hearts, 
that vicious habits are naturally progressive; and that, con- 
sequently, the sooner we begin their extermination the better 
we shall succeed. Every day we postpone the commence- 
ment of this duty, the more unlikely they will be to yield. 
Growing with our growth, and strengthening with our 
strength, they will ultimately defy our greatest efforts. Like 
every thing progressive, they acquire firmness in proportion 
to their age. The tender oak, just bursting the surface of 
the earth, and disclosing its foliage to the sun, is ea- 
sily demolished ; but in the progress of time it acquires 
strength, rises above the trees of the forest, and bids defiance 
to the storm. So it is with the corruption of human nature. 
Paralyzing the moral powers of the soul, it diminishes its 
sensibility to virtue, and reconciles it to its slavery and its 
chains. This we know to be true from our own experience. 
We perceive periods, in looking back upon our own history, 
in which our propensities to vice were comparatively feeble, 
but in being long cherished they acquired strength, and be- 
came, at length, nearly ungovernable. Like a resistless tor- 
rent, they have borne us down the course of dissipation, to 
the injury of our health, the diminution of our property, and 



304 



A SYSTEM OF 



the imminent hazard of our souls. Could we call from their 
sepulchres those unhappy beings who have fallen victims to 
their own sins, and demand of them their sentiments upon 
the subject, they would say — " Sin once had but little influ- 
ence on us, but in consequence of yielding to it, it obtained 
over us a paramount control; and hurrying us from one ex- 
cess of riot to another, our property was wasted, our health 
impaired, and premature death terminated our earthly career." 

And if the supposition that a future period will be more 
convenient to serve God than the present is absurd, the pre- 
tention to a right to postpone the commencement of his ser- 
vice is no less so. We always have been, and forever shall 
be, the absolute property of God. He created, redeemed, 
and now preserves us, and therefore is entitled to our ser- 
vice; not only at some future period, but through the whole 
course of our lives. " Ye are not your own," saith an apos- 
tle; " ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God with 
your spirit and your soul, which are his." He is as much 
entitled to our service now, as he will, or can be, at any 
other time. Nor is he only entitled to it, he claims it. How, 
then, can we say, " We will first serve ourselves, and then 
we will serve God ; will first acquire wealth, and obtain fame, 
and then we will do our duty!" Will God suspend his 
claims to our obedience until we have become rich? till we 
have glittered in the path of honour, and drank to satiety at 
the fountains of worldly pleasure? No, he will not; and it 
is presumptuous in the extreme to believe he will. We must 
have lost every particle of just sensibility, if we make our 
own gratification the paramount object of pursuit — if we put 
off to a future period that which God commands us to do now. 
In adopting this course, we impiously dictate to God the 
terms on which we will be saved : we in effect tell him that 
after we have satiated our appetites with sin we will conde- 
scend to enter upon his service. 

This, in point of absurdity, is equalled only by the belief 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



305 



that there is more happiness derived from the commission of 
sin than there is from the performance of our duty. But 
where, we. would ask, is the pleasure that sin affords 1 Is it 
in the anguish of a guilty conscience ? In the apprehensions 
of future and eternal punishment ? Or is it in the conflict of 
angry and degrading passions? In the disastrous and dis- 
graceful issues to which they lead ? Or in the judicial and 
overwhelming chastisements of a divine and retributive pro- 
vidence ? ■ We appeal confidently to every individual, if the 
way of the transgressor is not hard ? If it is not a way cruel 
as the grave, going down to the chambers of death ? 

Ask the aspirant for human fame if the gratification of his 
inordinate wishes contribute- to his comfort, and he will an- 
swer, no ! The paths which lead to earthly glory are always 
planted with the sharpest thorns, and not unfrequently beset 
with the greatest perils. The anxiety which arises from the 
uncertainty of success ; the mortification which inevitably re- 
sults from defeat ; the selfish and malignant passions which 
are nourished into strong existence by competition : the un- 
grateful returns which we not unfrequently experience from 
those we have benefitted ; and the uncertain tenure by which 
public favour is retained, are always sources of vexation. 

Nor is the pursuit of wealth less productive of disappoint- 
ment. The covetous not unfrequently rise early and late 
take rest; oppress and defraud their fellow creatures; and 
unceasingly struggle for the accumulation of gain ; but the 
result of all, on their part, is weariness, and fatigue, and 
disappointment ; and on the part of their successors, extrava- 
gance, dissipation, and indolence. 

The pursuit of pleasure inevitably ends in disappointment. 
Go ask the voluptuary on his dying bed what has been the 
resuk of his career, and he will ar.- ver, "The ruin of my 
constitution — the blighting of my early hopes — the beggary 
l of my innocent children — the disgrace and alienation of my 
friends — and the premature termination of my life." 

2G* ' 



306 



A SYSTEM OF 



These, according to the laws of nature, are the effects of 
crime. " There is no peace to the wicked," saith God ; " they 
are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose waters 
cast up mire and dirt." 

But is it asked, " What is the happiness which results from 
the performance of our duty ?" The answer is, " A pleas- 
ing consciousness of peace — a sense of the divine favour — 
consolations of the holy spirit — sweet and delightful sym- 
pathy between heirs of the same grace — and hopes of ever- 
lasting happiness beyond the grave." 

But the postponement of our duty is not only absurd, but 
infinitely dangerous. 

It is conceded on all hands, that without holiness of heart 
no man can see the Lord. Repentance or perdition is the 
uniform language of the holy scriptures." " Except," saith 
Jesus Christ, " ye be converted, and become as little children, 
ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." But 
a change of heart can be obtained only in the present life. 
All beyond the limits of mortality is never-ending happiness 
or woe. As the tree falls so it lies, whether toward the north 
or to the south. 

If, then, holiness of heart is an essential preparation to see 
God, and there is no time but the present in which this pre- 
paration can be obtained, procrastination in the pursuit of it 
must be infinitely hazardous. Should death arrest us be- 
fore our peace is made with heaven, we must inevitably 
perish. The irrevocable sentence then will be, " He that is 
unholy let him be unholy still." 

Our eternal happiness depending upon the attainment of the 
divine favour in the present life, renders a delay in the pur- 
suit of that blessing infinitely dangerous. Who can calcu- 
late with certainty on living a day, an hour, or a .single 
moment? Our life is in the hand of God, and he can take 
it when he chooses. To us nothing can be more uncertain 
than the continuance of our earthly being. Standing as we 



MORAL PHILOSOPHY. 



307 



do upon the verge of life, it is impossible to know when the 
period of our dissolution will arrive. No created power can 
arrest the progress of time, and with his advance approaches 
the termination of life. Every human being, without ex- 
ception, is destined to become the tenant of the tomb. Where, 
alas ! are the Alexanders, the Csesars, the Tullies, and the 
Charlemagnes 1 Those mighty men, whose fame survives 
the ravages of time, and whose influence once shook king- 
doms, and controlled the destiny of nations ? They have 
long since descended to the silent grave. And shall we 
escape '? No : it is impossible. It is ordained, in the system 
of divine providence, that we shall die ; but of the time of 
our dissolution we are all ignorant. Although the living 
know they shall die, of the day and hour of his dissolution 
knoweth no man. Death lurks in secret, surrounded with 
impenetrable darkness, and often springs upon his victim 
when he is least expected. He alike mingles with the angry 
tempest and the gentle breeze ; floats upon the foaming cur- 
rent and the placid lake ; rises from the pestiferous marsh, 
and adheres to every particle of active and latent heat. In 
every element he finds a residence, and in every circumstance 
a means to facilitate the accomplishment of his purpose. 
Little as the fact now impresses us, we stand upon that aw- 
ful isthmus, which projecting into eternity, is every moment 
exposed to the wave of death. Before we shall have finished 
the present sentence death may seize us as his victim, and 
terminate forever our earthly course. Storms are gathering 
over our unsheltered heads, and waiting only the arrival of 
death to burst upon us in overwhelming terrors. " The Lord 
Jesus, ere long, will be revealed from heaven in flaming fire, 
taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not 
the gospel of Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with ever- 
lasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and the 
glory of his power." 



INDEX. 



A. 

Page 

Arguments proving the divine inspiration of the scriptures . .16 

Argument first ib. 

„ second . 20 

third . . . .23 

fourth 28 

fifth 36 

„ sixth 41 

„ seventh ...» 50 

„ eighth 63 

Aversion and desire . .102 

Action, character of, defined 123 

Affection, conjugal . . . 253 

„ parental » . 254 

B. 

Benevolence .......... 100 

Belief in the existence of God a duty . . . . . 127, 138 

Baptism 194 



Church ... 273 

Conscience defined . . . 103 

Charity, nature of , . 245 

„ obligations of . 248 

Conclusion 301 



Desire and aversion 102 

Duties to God . 125 

„ to our fellow creatures 230 

„ to ourselves 283 

E. 

Existence of God 127 

Eternity of God 227 

Education, benefit of . . 255 



F. 

Feeling, an action of the soul ....... 99 

Fidelity, conjugal 251 



310 



INDEX. 



Page 



Fellow creatures, the duties we owe them . . . . - . 230 
Filial duties 265 

G. 

Genius defined . 106 

Goodness of God 130 

Gospel, duty of extending it 220 

General duties 236 

Government of the heart 287 



H. 

Human beings, composition of . . , . .88 

„ body material ih. 

Habit defined 107 



I. 

Infidelity, effects of 75 

Immortality of the soul 89 

Intellectual qualities defined ib. 

Immortality of the soul proved 90 

Instincts defined 100 

Investigating the will of God a duty 125 

Independence of God 128 



J. 

Judgment an action of the soul . . . . , x . .103 

Justice 237 

„ obligations of 243 

L. 

Light of nature defined . . . . . . . .15 

„ „ and revelation compared 80 

Love for God a duty . . . . . . . • • 147 

Lord's supper . . , ; 203 

„ how it should be received 207 

Excuses for not receiving the lord's supper obviated . . . 214 

M. 

Moral philosophy defined 13 

Matter defined 88 

Mind defined ib. 

Memory defined 101 

Mercy defined .244 

Marriage . 251 

„ — fidelity to. 

„ — affection 253 

Masters and servants 271 



INDEX. 311 
O. 

Obligations defined .... 

„ grounds of . 
Omnipotence of God .... 
Omnipresence of God .... 
Omniscience of God .... 
Offices of the Father, son, and holy ghost 

P. 



Patriotism defined . 107 

Parental affection ib. 

Particular duties . 250 

Parental duties 254 

Perception defined 101 

Primary actions of the mind 99 

Punishment of man 113 

„ „ eternal 116 

Providence, acquiescence in, a duty ...... 150 

Prayer a duty 162 

Public worship a duty 182 

R. 

Relations of man 107 

Reward of the righteous . 113 

„ of the incorrigibly wicked 116 

Repentance a duty ......... 143 

S. 

Scripture a revelation of God's will 16 

„ inspiration of proved 

Soul isolated . . .98 

„ — its faculties . . . 

„ — its susceptibilities 

Secondary actions of the mind 102 

Self-existence of God . . . 127 

Searching the scriptures a duty t 155 

Sabbath, the duty of observing it ...... 174 

Sacraments, our duty to receive them 194 

Society agreeable to the will of God 230 

Servants and masters . . . . . . . , 271 

Slavery 272 

T. 

Taste defined . . . . 106 

Trinity of persons in the godhead 131 

Transubstantiation . . . 204 

Training of children 254 



Page 
. 13 
. 14 
. 128 
. ib. 
. 129 
. 137 



312 



INDEX. 



u. 



Unchangeableness of God 
Unity of God . 



Page 
130 
131 



W. 



Will of God discovered in two ways 
Will of human beings defined 



14 

105 



ERRATA. 



Page 33, 23d line from top, substitute a semicolon for a period after the 
word enthusiasm. 
„ 45, 20th line from top, read tens for ten. 
„ 70, 4th line from top, read imposture for importance. 
„ 165, 10th line from top, read indicate for vindicate. 
„ 206, 5th line from top, read Martyn for Martin. 






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